Cars could be banned from Newcastle city centre to cut pollution

Environmental campaigners urged council bosses to take bold steps to tackle the city’s toxic air crisis on Wednesday night.

Tyneside councils are currently debating plans to impose a toll on vehicles driving into Newcastle, to comply with a government order to slash dangerous emissions.

But Green Party activist Taymar Pitman told a full council meeting that a simple solution to the problem would be to ban cars from the city centre entirely.

She then suggested trialling such restrictions on vehicles one day per week, similar to plans being introduced in Edinburgh.

Coun Nick Kemp, Newcastle City Council’s cabinet member for environment and climate change, said that banning cars was a “bold suggestion that deserves to be part of this debate” and that campaigners were right to push the council for radical action.

He then committed the council to consider a trial ban of cars, potentially on International Car-Free Day on September 22.

Coun Kemp said: “I am under no illusion as to the scale of the changes needed to work for our future.”

The comments came after climate change protesters staged a protest march from Grey’s Monument to the civic centre.