Protect Meadow Rise - No to access roads via our green space and estates
The Issue
The proposal
Newcastle Great Park Consortium wants to build 240 new houses on land south of the A696, the access road would extend Malthouse Way, cutting between Elsing Close and Oulton Close, straight through residential estates and green space used by locals and wildlife.
The developer says this will have a low impact and doesn't need a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). We disagree. Here's why we believe a full EIA is required. - UPDATE 9/7/24 NCC say not required, we will continue to drive the points in this petition forward when this application is submitted to planning.
Our concerns are as follows:
1. Loss of vital green space
● The access route cuts directly through a well-used green space that families, children, and dog walkers rely on every day.
● Splitting this space with a road permanently removes a public amenity that matters to community wellbeing.
2. Traffic and highway safety
● Our estate roads were built for existing residents only — they have no capacity for the traffic 240 new homes would generate, during construction or afterwards.
● Routing traffic through our estate would destroy the safe, pedestrian-friendly character of streets where children currently play.
● Prior temporary bus routes caused damage to the road surfaces and increased noise.
● The main road serving our estate is a key route for emergency vehicles from Etal Lane Police Station. Added congestion risks delaying blue-light response times.
● This road already struggles at peak times. Adding 240 households' worth of traffic risks pushing local junctions past their limit.
● We have a fundamental objection to any vehicle access through our estate - not just the route currently shown. Any alternative road through this land still means cutting through the same green space and habitats, so moving the road doesn't solve the problem.
● This would potentially lead to increased antisocial behaviour. The area already has a problem with individuals riding off road motorbikes, e bikes and scooters at speed, both on roads and on grassy areas and paths. Adding a road to this area would provide further accessibility to these individuals and the opportunity for them to gain more speed.
3. Harm to wildlife
● This land supports deer, foxes, bats, and a wide range of birds.
● Removing mature trees and hedgerows for the access road would fragment habitats and permanently displace these species, directly at odds with biodiversity net gain policy.
4. Impact on nearby homes
● The proposed road runs very close to existing properties on Oulton Close and Elsing Close.
● Residents would face loss of privacy, headlight glare into gardens and bedrooms, and constant traffic noise from what would become a busy thoroughfare.
What we are asking Newcastle City Council to do
• Require a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for this development, rather than accepting the developer’s screening request that none is needed. UPDATE 9/7/26 Newcastle city council decided no screening assessment was required and closed the screening early.
Our points below still stand:
• Require the developer to identify an access point directly onto the external highway network, and not through any existing residential estate road.
• Require a full and independent assessment of cumulative traffic impact, taking into account the other large developments already approved or proposed nearby.
• Protect the existing green space from being severed or built over as part of any access road or site layout.
• Require full ecological surveys (including protected and locally significant species) before any decision is made on access or layout.
By signing below, you are adding your name to this petition, which will be submitted to Newcastle City Council’s planning department, local ward councillors, and local MPs.
Please also sign a concurrent petition from one of our local councillors to register this area as a protected park:
487
The Issue
The proposal
Newcastle Great Park Consortium wants to build 240 new houses on land south of the A696, the access road would extend Malthouse Way, cutting between Elsing Close and Oulton Close, straight through residential estates and green space used by locals and wildlife.
The developer says this will have a low impact and doesn't need a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). We disagree. Here's why we believe a full EIA is required. - UPDATE 9/7/24 NCC say not required, we will continue to drive the points in this petition forward when this application is submitted to planning.
Our concerns are as follows:
1. Loss of vital green space
● The access route cuts directly through a well-used green space that families, children, and dog walkers rely on every day.
● Splitting this space with a road permanently removes a public amenity that matters to community wellbeing.
2. Traffic and highway safety
● Our estate roads were built for existing residents only — they have no capacity for the traffic 240 new homes would generate, during construction or afterwards.
● Routing traffic through our estate would destroy the safe, pedestrian-friendly character of streets where children currently play.
● Prior temporary bus routes caused damage to the road surfaces and increased noise.
● The main road serving our estate is a key route for emergency vehicles from Etal Lane Police Station. Added congestion risks delaying blue-light response times.
● This road already struggles at peak times. Adding 240 households' worth of traffic risks pushing local junctions past their limit.
● We have a fundamental objection to any vehicle access through our estate - not just the route currently shown. Any alternative road through this land still means cutting through the same green space and habitats, so moving the road doesn't solve the problem.
● This would potentially lead to increased antisocial behaviour. The area already has a problem with individuals riding off road motorbikes, e bikes and scooters at speed, both on roads and on grassy areas and paths. Adding a road to this area would provide further accessibility to these individuals and the opportunity for them to gain more speed.
3. Harm to wildlife
● This land supports deer, foxes, bats, and a wide range of birds.
● Removing mature trees and hedgerows for the access road would fragment habitats and permanently displace these species, directly at odds with biodiversity net gain policy.
4. Impact on nearby homes
● The proposed road runs very close to existing properties on Oulton Close and Elsing Close.
● Residents would face loss of privacy, headlight glare into gardens and bedrooms, and constant traffic noise from what would become a busy thoroughfare.
What we are asking Newcastle City Council to do
• Require a full Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for this development, rather than accepting the developer’s screening request that none is needed. UPDATE 9/7/26 Newcastle city council decided no screening assessment was required and closed the screening early.
Our points below still stand:
• Require the developer to identify an access point directly onto the external highway network, and not through any existing residential estate road.
• Require a full and independent assessment of cumulative traffic impact, taking into account the other large developments already approved or proposed nearby.
• Protect the existing green space from being severed or built over as part of any access road or site layout.
• Require full ecological surveys (including protected and locally significant species) before any decision is made on access or layout.
By signing below, you are adding your name to this petition, which will be submitted to Newcastle City Council’s planning department, local ward councillors, and local MPs.
Please also sign a concurrent petition from one of our local councillors to register this area as a protected park:
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Petition created on 26 June 2026