North Tyneside Council Cabinet is celebrating achievements across North Tyneside.
A report to Cabinet on Monday 29 July showed North Tyneside Council’s progress in ensuring the Borough is thriving, family-friendly, caring, secure and green.
The report comes during a major milestone in the Council’s carbon reduction journey. It’s five years since the Council declared a Climate Emergency and nearly five years to the 2030 goal of being carbon net zero, and the Council has reduced its footprint by 59%.
Cabinet members heard how the authority is achieving and delivering against the aims of its overarching and ambitious Our North Tyneside Plan.
From improving town centres and transport infrastructure, delivering a new cycling and walking route at the coast, to building 2,250 new affordable homes– there have been many significant accomplishments.
North Tyneside Elected Mayor, Dame Norma Redfearn DBE said: “We are a Council that listens to our residents and our businesses, that delivers for them and cares about them.
“We are ambitious for every corner of the Borough, whether that is with housing, regeneration, or through our carbon net-zero 2030 projects, and I am pleased with the progress being made across North Tyneside to improve our communities and attract new businesses.
“I’m excited by the village and transport plans being developed for the North West of the Borough, and look forward to seeing resident’s views from the consultation this summer.
“Against the backdrop of rising pressure on our finances and our services, I’m proud that we are still supporting those who are most in need. We are determined that the inequality gap does not widen further in North Tyneside, while continuing to deliver against our key priorities.
“We know there are big challenges ahead, with local authorities facing increasing costs and demand for social care services, but we will continue to ensure that North Tyneside is somewhere people are proud to call home, where residents are supported, and businesses can grow and thrive.”
Thanks to significant external funding and ambitious regeneration projects, North Shields has a new Transport Hub and town square, and a Cultural Quarter has been established in the town to grow the creative economy. New family homes are being developed at the former Unicorn House site.
Development continues in Wallsend, with funding secured to improve housing, employment and the look of the town.
Working Well Hubs are helping residents get jobs or training. They have also supported residents during difficult times, for example, when Wilko stores closed nationally, and many local workers needed to find new jobs.
Low-income households and residents struggling with poverty and food insecurity continue to be helped through the Council Tax Support Scheme and many other support funds. Families in need of extra help in the holidays can turn to the Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
North Tyneside is greener, with the council’s carbon footprint for 23/24 down by 59%. The first phase of the new £11m Seafront Sustainable Route (external funding) is open at Tynemouth, creating a safer, more accessible and visually stunning space for walking, wheeling and cycling. Work to extend it to Whitley Bay begins later this year.
Homes are warmer thanks to funding for boiler repairs and replacements, and more households are benefitting from measures to improve energy efficiency, such as solar PV and air source heat pumps. More than 650 measures are already complete in homes with low-household incomes.
Streets are cleaner, with six new rapid response teams removing an additional 400 tonnes of rubbish and carrying out 65 estate cleans up.
North Tyneside remains comparatively one of the safest places in the region, but in response to residents’ anti-social behaviour concerns, the Safer North Tyneside Partnership Board will be improving its plan for tackling anti-social behaviour.
Education in North Tyneside remains strong too – with 93% per cent of first/primary schools and 88 per cent of secondary/high schools rated good or outstanding by Ofsted – higher than the national average.
To read the full Performance Report on the Our North Tyneside Plan presented to Cabinet, please click here.
You can see what North Tyneside Council is doing for its Carbon Net Zero 2030 Action Plan.