DIY Streets is an initiative by Sustrans that provides funding for communities who want to improve their local streets, with an emphasis on sustainable travel such as cycling, walking and public transport. xsite are helping facilitate DIY streets scheme for the Ouseburn Valley, alongside the Ouseburn Futures group. Newcastle City Council Highways department are also involved in the process, in order to ensure that any initiatives work in tandem with the Council’s own schemes for the valley. As a business based in the valley and general Ouseburn fans we’re delighted to be part of this process.
An initial workshop at Ernest and a survey of over 100
people and businesses in the area was conducted to determine what issues were
most pressing and which streets most in need of improvement. From this there
was a broad consensus that Lime Street, Stepney Bank, Stepney Road and
Shieldfield Lane would be the most appropriate streets for a pilot DIY Streets
scheme. Further open workshops to discuss these streets were advertised to
local businesses via a flyer drop and social media.
xsite led 2 workshops with interested parties at the
Ouseburn Farm on 19th and 21st of May this week, to
establish a brief for the DIY Streets works. These consisted of a walk around
the streets with the group followed by discussion in groups around plans of the
streets with ideas and priorities noted.
There were loads of great ideas put forward at the
workshops. xsite now have the task of distilling this into some design
proposals for further consultation around mid June. For more information visit
the Ouseburn Futures website at http://ouseburnfutures.org.uk/
