A report to Cabinet next week (27 March) will detail North Tyneside Council’s progress in ensuring the borough is thriving, family-friendly, caring, secure and green.
Cabinet members will hear how the local authority is achieving and delivering against the aims of its overarching and ambitious Our North Tyneside plan.
From the delivery of over 2,000 new affordable homes to tackling anti-social behaviour, supporting those most in need through the cost-of-living crisis, to significantly cutting its carbon footprint – there have been many significant accomplishments.
Ahead of the meeting, 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. Our communities are at the heart of this plan, and I am delighted with the progress that is being made.
“Against the backdrop of rising inflationary pressures, we continue to ensure we deliver against our key priorities and most importantly, supporting those who are most in need. We are determined that the inequality gap does not widen further in North Tyneside, and we continue to direct resources to help those who need it.
“We are ambitious for every corner of the borough – whether that is in education, regeneration, or through our carbon net-zero 2030 projects.
“That being said, we are by no means complacent – we know there are big challenges facing local government with increasing costs, reduced funding and an increase in 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.”
Through the plan, families and individuals are being helped through a comprehensive package of support designed to address inequalities, tackle the impacts of poverty, and help with the rising cost of living crisis for those on the lowest incomes.
Homes are warmer thanks to funding for boiler repairs and replacements, and more households are benefitting from other measures to improve energy efficiency after the council successfully secured millions of pounds of Government funding to install low carbon heating, energy efficiency and renewable energy systems – with over 800 measures already completed in more than 700 homes.
Thanks to significant investment and regeneration projects in North Shields, the town centre and riverside are being transformed. Elsewhere, plans have been drawn up to revitalise Wallsend town centre and consultation with residents and businesses is underway. Plans for the North West of the borough are also taking shape to create a heritage trail and improvements at Killingworth Lake, and funding has been secured for a seafront cycle route and plans will be developed later in the year for Whitley Bay’s town centre.
More parks and open spaces have been awarded a Green Flag – an international accreditation for high standards – and three beaches retained their Blue Flags and Seaside Awards.
In response to residents’ anti-social behaviour concerns, a multi-agency taskforce has been established, and encouragingly, the cases of anti-social behaviour reported to Northumbria Police is decreasing and the rate per population is at its lowest level in four years in North Tyneside.
Education in North Tyneside remains strong too – with 96 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.
The report will be presented to Cabinet on Monday 27 March.
