The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Changes to bus services for residents in north and east of city
AN alcohol licence for a new bar in Whitley Bay has been granted, but with serving times scaled back.
North Tyneside Council’s licensing committee considered an alcohol licence for a Horticulture bar and cafe on Whitley Road. The new premises was planned to emulate its sister operation in Newcastle and could bring around 30 fulltime jobs to Whitley Bay.
While councillors granted a new alcohol licence for the premises they reduced the serving times required.
Mike Hesketh, director of Horticulture Leisure 2 Ltd, applied to serve alcohol on the premises between 10am and 11pm every day. Councillors have only permitted alcohol sales between 10am and 10.30pm, Sunday to Thursday and between 10am to 11pm on Friday and Saturday.
Mr Hesketh, who has invested £250,000 in the premises, said: “The conditions are not what we had hoped for and we will take our time to consider the current licence that is before us but overall we are disappointed with today’s outcome.”
The proposals had met with opposition, with two written objections to the local authority. Whitley Bay councillor John O’shea was also present at the meeting and raised the concerns of a neighbouring resident.
Coun O’shea said: “This application has been objected to on the basis it is likely to create public nuisance in the area for local residents.
“There is concern around noise and nuisance of patrons coming in and out of the premises, hanging around, smoking outside.
“There is also public nuisance around parking in the area and controlling that has been an immense problem.”
A NEW bus route and two alterations to existing routes are to launch in Newcastle’s north and east, Nexus has said.
The transport operator said the move would be funded by the Government’s Bus Service Improvement Plan. That plan – worth £165m – is underpinning changes including a “new route” connecting Wallsend and Walkergate with the Freeman Hospital, which was lost during cuts by commercial bus operators last year.
The changes will also see the 35 bus between Fawdon and the city centre operate on a new route that will now take in Osborne Road in Jesmond, as well as Kenton Park Shopping Centre. It will also run on evenings and weekends.
North East transport bosses at Nexus also said that, based on feedback from people in the area, the Q3 bus will no longer run along Osborne Road. Nexus said this would lead to shorter journey times between the city centre and Newcastle Great Park.
The new route 653 serving the Freeman from the east of Newcastle will see buses run from Wallsend Metro station via Prospect Avenue in Wallsend and Walkergate to the Freeman Hospital between 7am and 6.30pm six days a week. The changes will come into effect on March 24.
Huw Lewis, customer services director at Nexus, said: “We are always listening to feedback from customers about the bus services they would like to see, and these changes reflect that.
“We carried out local consultation in Jesmond, Gosforth and Fawdon with the help of local councillors, and I’m pleased we’ve been able to extend the 35 route into the evening and Sundays, which also means journey times from Great Park into Newcastle on Go North East’s Q3 will be shorter.
“This does mean buses will be less frequent on Osborne Road but Jesmond still has excellent public transport, with two Metro stations close by.”
When, last year, a section of the Q3 route serving Wallsend and Walkergate was cut, residents in those areas told The Chronicle they felt like the “poor relation” when it came to public transport cuts.