Newcastle City Council has published plans that include the removal of 500m of cycle lanes from Gosforth High Street, including the protected cycle lane from Salters Road to Regent Farm Road. This comes only four months after the Council formally adopted a new Movement Strategy that says the Council will prioritise active travel and create a high-quality cycling network linking homes and shops. 

Once again, Newcastle City Council have prioritised vehicle speed over road safety, treating Gosforth High Street as an inconvenience to be bypassed rather than a destination for the local community.

The plans are part of a package of changes funded by the Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP). These include bus lanes on the Great North Road along with changes on Gosforth High Street. SPACE for Gosforth supports prioritisation for buses where this can be implemented without compromising the safety of other road users.

You can respond to the consultations up to 3 February 2026.

The plans include three new sections of north-bound bus lane:

• from Forsyth Road to Blue House roundabout.
• from Salters Road to Regent Farm Road.
• from Brunton Lane to Rotary Way.

Changes proposed for Gosforth High Street are:

• Extending the existing 20mph limit south to Moorfield.
• The pedestrian traffic island between The Grove and Elmfield Road is to be removed and replaced with a new puffin crossing between the Poplars and Graham Park Road to make the bus lane through the High Street continuous.
• No entry for vehicles into West Avenue, and left turn only for vehicles exiting West Avenue.
• Wider pavement between Ivy Road and Salters Road.
• Removal of the painted south-bound cycle lane from Church Road to Ivy Road.
• The south-bound bus stop by the Brandling moved to be outside Gosforth Centre.
• A new yellow box at the Salters Road / Church Road / High Street junction.
• Removal of the north-bound protected cycle lane from Salters Road to Regent Farm Road. 

Proposals included in the April 2025 High Street consultation but missing from the new plans are:

• The proposed traffic filter to reduce traffic and improve road safety in High West Jesmond.
• The proposed safe crossing for people cycling from West Avenue to Gosforth Central Park including the proposed protected cycle lane on St Nicholas Avenue.
• The proposed cycle track and crossing on Christon Road for children attending local schools.
• The proposed two-way cycle lane north of Christon Road.
• The proposed single-phase crossings for school children crossing Great North Road between Christon Road and Regent Centre. 

You can read SPACE for Gosforth’s responses to the previous consultations on the bus lanes, and changes to Gosforth High Street.

News of the changes has also been reported on by:

• BBC News: Anger over plans to scrap High Street cycle lane
• ChronicleLive: Gosforth High Street’s latest redesign will ‘endanger children’s lives’
• road.cc: “Prioritising vehicle speed over road safety”: Frustration over plans to remove major cycle lane, just four months after council claimed it was committed to making active travel “safer and easier”

The Council’s BSIP web page gives details of how to respond. Responses are needed by 3 February 2026. Note that you have to respond separately to the bus lane proposals and to the High Street changes. 

This crossing will remain two-phase with children having to wait in the middle.

The Council’s new Movement Strategy, adopted in September 2025, says “To grow cycling, [Newcastle City Council] must adopt a network wide approach of safe, high-quality routes that connects homes, schools, jobs, healthcare, and shops.”

It also says how High Streets and local centres should be designed. “High Street connections should balance accessibility with placemaking, ensuring that local businesses and community activities thrive. Movement networks should prioritise active and public transport, with traffic management strategies that enhance safety, reduce congestion, and create high quality public spaces. Vehicle access to support business and service needs must be integrated.”

SPACE for Gosforth set out what this should mean in practice in the blog Gosforth High Street has been designed like a bypass rather than a shopping destination, which included the table below.

Details of how to respond are on the Newcastle City Council website, with a deadline of 3 February 2026.

You may also wish to contact your Councillors. Contact details can be found here.