The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Council bosses come under fire in probe into city LTN zones
A review into Newcastle’s Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNS) has criticised a “lack of understanding” or “robust” management from council bosses.
The findings of an audit probe into the implementation of traffic schemes in the city, including the axed LTNS in Jesmond and Fenham, were presented to councillors this week.
The report also highlights issues with risk management and communication, though members of Newcastle City Council’s audit committee were told that the review did not raise any “major” problems.
Its publication comes days after the bollards of the controversial Jesmond Ltn,were pulled down.
While the local authority said that the scheme had largely achieved its goals, its 18-month trial was cut short after a public consultation showed a significant majority of opposition amid allegations that the council had not followed the Department for Transport’s (DFT) guidance on consultation at an explosive audit committee meeting last July.
The authority said it had instigated an internal review after it emerged that Northumbria Police had expressed concerns about the LTN.
A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it “had satisfied” requirements with the law and DFT guidance in implementing the traffic schemes examined in the audit, which included restrictions on the Tyne Bridge for the Great North Run, Pottery Park in Walker, and outside Hotspur Primary School, Heaton.
However, critics have suggested that the probe did not answer the specific questions raised last year about the Jesmond LTN, including on what consultation had been undertaken with local businesses and what data had been used to inform the council’s decisions. Phil Slater, the council’s chief internal auditor, told Tuesday’s civic centre meeting that the report gives only “moderate” assurance about the council’s functions - saying it had pinpointed areas for improvement, but that processes “definitely do not need to be radically changed”.
His report notes “a lack of understanding of programme and project management principles and practices”
It also criticised risk management, stakeholder commu n i c a t i o n plans and d o c u ment management.
“The absence of robust programme and project management controls increases the risk that schemes are not delivered to cost, budget, timescales and do not achieve their aims,” the report says.
However it confirms that emergency services and others likely to be affected were consulted.
The audit also found consultation exercises used in the LTN trials were collated and analysed properly and that the required seven-day notice was given.
After Tuesday’s meeting, audit committee member and Lib Dem councillor Greg Stone said the report was “not quite a deep dive” into specific concerns the previous audit committee chair had asked to be addressed. Since the concerns were raised last year, former audit committee chair Hamish Moore and two other independent members have all been replaced.
David Wilkinson, a member of the One Jesmond campaign group, who voiced his concerns about the LTN’S implementation last July, said he was “disappointed with the review because I do not think that this addresses the wider issues that caused the whole problem”.
One Jesmond said the audit’s findings “don’t look good” for the council, while the pro-ltn Space for Jesmond group also pointed to concerns about the scheme’s management.
A spokesperson for Space for Jesmond said: “The Jesmond LTN trial was introduced in pursuit of the council’s net zero and clean air objectives, its citywide transport strategy and greater equality and inclusion. The report recommending its removal ignored these points, which gives credence to the view that these policies are not being well managed.
“The audit report is hardly the smoking gun some anti-ltn campaigners hoped for, but it does suggest that the council’s leadership on matters of vital importance to the city’s future leaves a lot to be desired.”
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “The internal audit encompassed a broad review of how traffic schemes are implemented, which the review found the council had satisfied. As with any thorough review, recommendations on how the council can further improve have been set out and will be taken forward and reported back to Audit Committee.”
WHETHER it’s buying a lunchtime sandwich or paying bills, a lot of people still prefer cash for everyday transactions.
And for many, carrying notes and coins isn’t just a choice – it’s a necessity.
But with more than 5,000 UK bank branch closures since 2015, the way we access cash has changed completely.
That’s why local postmasters have been stepping in to fulfil the essential banking needs of communities across the UK, enabling residents and businesses – especially those in rural areas – to access their accounts in-branch.
Thanks to the Post Office’s partnership with up to 30 banks and building societies, 99% of UK banking customers can pay in cash and cheques, check balances over the counter and make cash withdrawals right down to the penny at their local branch.
In fact, with over
11,500 branches
– that’s more than all the banks and building societies combined – it has the biggest retail network in the UK.
Ross Borkett, director of banking at Post Office, said:
“Our branches have seen unprecedented growth in demand for banking services, as convenient access to cash withdrawals and deposits remains essential for thousands of businesses and people up and down the country.
“Post Offices are uniquely placed to provide essential banking services for local communities, helping to ensure that people and businesses can still access the everyday banking services they rely upon each week.”
of the population live within three miles of a Post Office branches are open seven days a week
The audit report is hardly the smoking gun some anti-ldn campaigners hoped for