On Thursday 2nd May 2024 local elections will be taking place in Newcastle, where one third of the city’s Councillors will be elected – one in each ward.
You may hear from candidates who’d like you to vote for them in the coming weeks. We would urge everybody who would like to see safer cycling in Newcastle to ask their local candidates what they plan to do if they get elected (or re-elected if they are a sitting Councillor) and what they have been doing to ensure Newcastle is a safe place to live and move about in.
We have had a look at the manifestos of the main parties standing in Newcastle and what they are offering to people who want to see better cycling facilities.
Labour
The Labour Party manifesto has a list of priorities for the city which include progressing with the delivery of £7.7million funded Active Travel Network upgrades and more cycle cages for safe cycle parking.
Cllr Marion Williams has said that promoting active travel remains a priority and highlighted a number of schemes under way such as improvements to Elswick Road for walking, wheeling and cycling and a promise to continue talking to residents in the area of Fenham, Jesmond and Heaton which have seen LTNs installed then removed recently.
https://www.newcastlelabour.org.uk/about/
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats have set out ten actions they say will get Newcastle working again. Point include fixing roads and pavements and rebuilding the Council’s capacity to manage major projects to ‘get the City moving’.
Lib Dem councillors have been very vocal and proactive in their support for cycling infrastructure and the LTN in the part of Heaton covered by Ouseburn ward. Elsewhere, different Lib Dem councillors were just as vocal in their opposition to the LTN scheme in Jesmond.
https://www.newcastle-libdems.org.uk/our-party/our-plan-for-newcastle
The Green Party
The Green Party manifesto highlights their policy of elimination as many motorised journeys as possible by providing services in ‘15 minute walk’ neighbourhoods. In detailing how this would be done they highlight getting aa shift to more cycling with segregated, protected cycling infrastructure that is suitable for all ages and the use of safe and affordable e-bikes and e-cargo bikes as well as more safe cycle storage across the city.
https://newcastleupontyne.greenparty.org.uk/about-us/
Conservative Party
The party of Government don’t appear to have a manifesto for Newcastle.