Makeover of city’s iconic Grey Street gets under way
PARKING SPACES ARE REMOVED TO CREATE NEW CYCLE LANE
A HUGE transformation of Newcastle’s most beautiful street has begun.
Council workers have started work to remove parking spaces from the iconic Grey Street to make way for a new cycle lane, plus extra space for pedestrians and pavement cafes.
The radical redesign was first announced in May as the centrepiece of Newcastle City Council’s temporary measures to create more space for social distancing across the city during the coronavirus pandemic.
But they also mark the first step towards a permanent reimagining of Grey Street, home to the famous monument to Earl Grey and the Theatre Royal, as part of plans to cut traffic and pollution in the city centre.
The Georgian street was once voted the best in the UK, but Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes has repeatedly labelled it one of the country’s most beautiful car parks.
The temporary changes coming into force now will see the majority of Grey Street’s on-street parking bays removed, though a “limited number” will be retained on the east side of the street and some reserved for disabled blue badge holders.
Traffic is being restricted to southbound only to allow pavement space to be extended into the road, while a protected northbound cycle lane will be installed.
The council says it will reveal plans next year for permanent alterations based on feedback from the public.
Local authority bosses have also pledged to try and maintain Grey Street’s beauty despite the makeshift nature of the temporary installations, with planters and wooden cladding being brought in to distract from ugly concrete blocks and barriers.
Coun Arlene Ainsley, the council’s cabinet member for transport and air quality, said: “It’s great to see the work starting on Grey Street today. “Although we’ll be using temporary materials at first, we’ll ensure that they are respectful to its surroundings to help maintain the beauty of the street.
“It will be fantastic to see this stunning street busy with pavement cafes and more outdoor space, less traffic and a more people-friendly area in the heart of our city.
“We will be looking at how these short-term changes could help us deliver our longer-term ambitions for a cleaner and healthier city centre with a greener transport network and reduced pollution.”
It will be fantastic to see this stunning street busy with pavement cafes and more outdoor space
Coun Arlene Ainsley