Big Community Conversation Questions and Answers - Environment

NTSP Big Community Conversation questions and answers

Please see a list of the questions you can find below. Please scroll down to find the answers to each question.

1. Can health suites (steam rooms, saunas, Jacuzzis) be added to all leisure centres, and can Tynemouth Pool be refurbished?

2. Why is swimming lesson provision poor and insufficient compared to similar coastal areas, and when will it be improved?

3. How can access issues at Crawford Park tennis courts be fixed, such as non-working QR codes?

4. Is there security at skate parks, like the one in Parks?

5. Can small initiatives like free libraries be added in local parks to benefit

6. Why were services like the Whitley Bay Cemetery coffee shop closed, and are there plans for more public amenities in parks such as Howdon?

7. How is North Tyneside Council addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and accessible transport in line with Net Zero commitments?

8. What is being done to improve cleanliness, tackle graffiti, litter, weeds, and overgrown vegetation in areas including Silverlink, Whitely Bay, Killingworth, Chirton, and Norham Road?

9. Can drain cleaning, flood prevention , and street cleaning be made more consistent across the borough (e.g., Park View, Wideopen, Northumberland Square, Ferry

10. Can fly-tipping, littering, and abandoned bins be addressed through deterrents, increased staffing, or coordinated community networks?

11. How can recycling, garden waste, and composting services be improved and made more accessible?

13. Can streets, public areas, and coastal locations (Cullercoats beach, JWS, Environment Agency education sites) be kept cleaner, safer and more welcoming?

14. Can public amenities like toilets be opened earlier, and can rodent issues be addressed?

15. Why must residents pay extra for garden waste and brown bins when they already pay council tax?

1. Can health suites (steam rooms, saunas, Jacuzzis) be added to all leisure centres, and can Tynemouth Pool be refurbished?

Unfortunately, we are not in a position to install these facilities in all of our leisure centres as we do not have the resources for the capital investment involved or in many cases the available space. In addition, these types of facilities are very expensive to operate and maintain not least in terms of energy costs which the Council could not afford at this time. Tynemouth pool spa area was in fact fully refurbished in November 2024.

2. Why is swimming lesson provision poor and insufficient compared to similar coastal areas, and when will it be improved?

We are sorry that you think our swimming lesson provision is poor. We provide a comprehensive service across our four pools, and we regularly receive positive feedback from our customers. We acknowledge that we must balance the use of the pools for lessons against all the other demands and activities that a public pool has. Last year we had almost 14,000 attendances at our to learn to swim activities. If customers have any specific issues that they think can improve our service, then it would be helpful if they could contact their local pool directly.

3. How can access issues at Crawford Park tennis courts be fixed, such as non-working QR codes?

We have checked and are not aware of any access issues at Crawford Park. The booking system is currently turned off for a short period whilst further refurbishment work at the site is carried out to the courts, so this is perhaps why booking was not possible.

4. Is there security at skate parks, like the one in Parks?

There is no security at any of our skateparks. Any issues should be reported to the Police or by contacting the Council.

5. Can small initiatives like free libraries be added in local parks to benefit communities?

North Tyneside Council is committed to looking at ways to support and enhance communities. Ideas that encourage sharing, learning and social interaction are always welcome. Our existing offer which includes a comprehensive network of 13 libraries across the whole borough includes a wide range of books that people can take away to read at their pleasure in places such as our Parks. As we have such a comprehensive offer, we do not have any plans at this point to introduce further library facilities in our parks.

6. Why were services like the Whitley Bay Cemetery coffee shop closed, and are there plans for more public amenities in parks such as Howdon?

North Tyneside Council are proud to offer a range of high-quality amenities in various locations across the Borough including Northumberland Park, Wallsend Park and the Rising Sun Country Park. In other locations across the Borough, private businesses tender for the lease of an asset to deliver their business from. This was the arrangement at Whitley Bay Cemetery. The lease holder at this location ended their contract and the Authority felt this particular asset should be repurposed for an alternative need.

At present, there are no plans to expand the catering offer to other urban parks, public open spaces or play sites. However, we continue to invest in our parks and open spaces to ensure they remain safe, clean and enjoyable for everyone.

7. How is North Tyneside Council addressing biodiversity loss, climate change, and accessible transport in line with Net Zero commitments?

Biodiversity

North Tyneside Council has a number of plans and strategies to help protect and enhance biodiversity and assist nature recovery including the Local Plan, Green Infrastructure Strategy and Biodiversity Action Plan. The Council is also a key supporting partner in the delivery of a Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS), a requirement under the Environment Act (2021), along with Northumberland County Council and Newcastle City Council. The following link provides more information: Local Nature Recovery Strategy | Northumberland County Council. In addition, the Authority is responsible for ensuring development through the Planning system achieves a 10% biodiversity net gain (BNG) in accordance with legislation (Environment Act 2021). This is in addition to existing environmental protections applied through Planning Policy, the NPPF and other legislation. NTCs guidance for developers in relation to BNG is attached here: BNG Guidance Developers (NTC) Feb 24 V1.pdf

Climate and Accessible Transport

In terms of Net Zero commitments, as a council we have a Carbon Net Zero Action Plan which is reviewed annually and is in its 5^th Year of implementation. This was developed as part of the 2019 Climate Emergency declared by full Council, and the first iteration of the Action Plan was produced in 2020. The Council recognises that climate change is of local concern and in response, our work is designed to be crosscutting across all of our services provided, including the those of biodiversity and transport as specifically referenced in the question. As an aside, we have also promoted the cross-cutting aspects and issues of climate change to a range of borough wide stakeholders, and we have seen a range of positive impacts as such.

Within the action plan there are discreet actions which develop the synergies and co benefits gained from acting in a positive manner and we continue to adopt a no regrets approach to these i.e., these things are the right thing to do. The outcomes of our efforts overall, have resulted in a 60% reduction of carbon emissions from our services, and a 49 % reduction of emission from across the Borough.

Examples of our work to progress accessible transport options, we have:

Supported funding bids for Bus Fleet upgrades to EV
Continued to work with North East Combined Authority to seek funding for publicly accessible EV Charging Infrastructure (On-Street, Fast, HPC)
Continued to develop a fully connected cycling network (LCWIP) and school streets programme
Provided cycling parking at all key amenities
Support regional roll-out of Public Transport Smart Ticketing
Undertaken behavioural change advocacy and support
Deliver North Tyneside EV Policy
Reduce car-based school trips annually via Go Smarter initiative

8. What is being done to improve cleanliness, tackle graffiti, litter, weeds, and overgrown vegetation in areas including Silverlink, Whitely Bay, Killingworth, Chirton, and Norham Road?

We’re committed to making North Tyneside a cleaner, greener and safer place for everyone. We have dedicated Environmental Services teams working hard every day to maintain high standards across the Borough.

Our approach includes both scheduled maintenance and reactive responses to the various issues that we can be presented with. Scheduled teams carry out activities such as street

cleansing, grass cutting, weed control, vegetation management and waste collections. Our reactive teams respond quickly to reports of issues such as graffiti, fly tipping and litter removal when they are received.

The Authority has recently invested in additional staff, vehicles and equipment as part of our “neat streets” initiative which is helping us raise standards and respond more effectively to environmental concerns.

As part of our ongoing commitment to continuous improvement, we’re working to digitise more of our services to make it easier for residents to report issues and for our teams to respond efficiently. We also continue to explore new kit, equipment and work practices that can help shape and improve our approach moving forward.

9. Can drain cleaning, flood prevention , and street cleaning be made more consistent across the borough (e.g., Park View, Wideopen, Northumberland Square, Ferry Walkway)?

With regard to drain cleaning and flood prevention, road gullies are cleaned on a cyclic basis with gully wagons following a set route around the borough. It takes approximately 18 months to complete a full cycle of cleansing. During this time, additional cleansing is undertaken at hotspot areas where flood risk is deemed to be high.

Internal council services work together to ensure there is a coordinated programme for drain cleaning and street cleansing during the autumn and winter months when leaf fall and detritus is at its heaviest.

Our street cleansing teams work to the Litter Code of Practice which is a nationally recognised standard set out in legislation. Streets and areas of the Borough are grouped into land types and serviced in line with this guidance. Our teams follow a structured schedule based on usage and need, while also responding to specific concerns raised by residents.

10. Can fly-tipping, littering, and abandoned bins be addressed through deterrents, increased staffing, or coordinated community networks?

Tackling environmental issues such as fly tipping, littering and abandoned bins is a priority for the Authority. We already take a multi-pronged approach to waste management across the Borough. We have dedicated teams working to remove waste, litter and fly tipping to ensure our Borough remains as clean as possible. We carry out education and behaviour change campaigns to help residents understand the impact of environmental crime and how we as individuals can manage and dispose of our waste appropriately. We support communities and individuals in various ways to make it easier to dispose of waste responsibly and to access the right services for various waste streams.

The Authority is committed to taking part in national waste management and litter campaigns and utilising available grant funding to enhance or approach to tackling this national issue.

We understand there is a place for enforcement action for a minority of individuals and that’s why we have dedicated environmental enforcement wardens and a community protection team who can take such action where necessary and appropriate.

We recognise the importance of community networks, and we are pleased at the level of support community groups currently provide in relation to litter management and cleanliness. We would be delighted to work with any further community networks that wanted to get involved.

We hope the combination of education, engagement, prevention and enforcement demonstrates our commitment to tackling these concerns.

11. How can recycling, garden waste, and composting services be improved and made more accessible?

The Council is always working to expand the range of materials that can be recycled and the number of locations this can be done. In recent years plastic pots, tubs and trays have been added to the materials that are accepted in home recycling bins. Soft / flexible plastics will be accepted from 2027. The Council understands that residents wish to recycle a range of materials that cannot be placed in the home recycling bin, and we have recently increased the number of recycling points across the Borough that will accept materials such as electricals and vapes. A full map of recycling facilities can be found on our website - https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/1356/find-your-nearest-recycling-point

The Council currently subsidises the purchase of home composters, more information can be found on our website - https://my.northtyneside.gov.uk/category/86/composting

A new separate food waste kerbside collection service will be introduced in Spring 2026.

12. Can tree care, soft landscaping, and natural habitat protection be improved following new developments?

We understand that residents want their neighbourhoods to be well maintained and looked after. For new developments, grounds maintenance responsibilities do not fall to the Council. The Authority do not fully adopt new estates meaning open spaces and infrastructure remain the responsibility of the developer or private management company.

We’re committed to working with developers to ensure that necessary standards are met and through the planning process seek to ensure that new developments comply with national and local planning policy and guidance. We impose planning conditions to ensure that new planting is maintained and managed. Since 2024 there is also a national mandatory requirement to require most developments to deliver biodiversity improvements through a 10% biodiversity net gain and manage the improved habitats for at least 30 years.

13. Can streets, public areas, and coastal locations (Cullercoats beach, JWS, Environment Agency education sites) be kept cleaner, safer and more welcoming?

We’re committed to making all parts of North Tyneside a cleaner, greener and safer place for everyone. We are extremely proud of our coastline which includes our award-winning resort beaches and local business offer for residents and visitors to enjoy.

We have dedicated Environmental Services teams working hard every day to maintain high standards across the Borough. Our approach includes both scheduled maintenance and reactive responses to the various issues that we can be presented with. Scheduled teams carry out various environmental maintenance tasks such as grass cutting, weed control and litter management. Our reactive teams respond quickly to reports of issues such as graffiti and fly tipping when they are received. We also have seasonal teams and enhanced cleansing resources during peak season in our areas of high footfall.

The Authority has recently invested in new staff, vehicles and equipment as part of our “neat streets” initiative which is helping us raise standards and respond more effectively to environmental concerns.

We have a dedicated Community Protection Team who monitors and responds to reports of anti-social behaviour issues reported into the service to effectively manage anti-social behaviour, breaches of tenancy, hate crime and domestic abuse. We work in close partnership with Northumbria Police to patrol our estates and open public spaces to tackle anti-social behaviour by sharing resources and planning operations to tackle issues within communities. We support victims of anti-social behaviour with our Victim Support volunteer service as well as supporting through multi-agency case reviews. Additionally, we are looking at potential future opportunities with joint location working with Northumbria Police. Most recently co locating working with the Police at the North Shields Transport Hub

14. Can public amenities like toilets be opened earlier, and can rodent issues be addressed?

The Authority is currently reviewing its public convenience provision across the Borough including the opening and closing of each asset.

North Tyneside Council has a dedicated Pest Control Team who manage and treat a range of pest-related issues. In addition to this, we have several teams working to address environmental health concerns that can contribute to vermin problems such as waste build up and poor housekeeping. We try to educate residents and businesses about how to maintain clean and tidy environments to help prevent pests from becoming a problem.

15. Why must residents pay extra for garden waste and brown bins when they already pay council tax?

Like most councils across the country our costs are going up and we are facing some difficult financial challenges.

Reluctantly, we took the decision to introduce an annual charge for the garden waste service. The charge was introduced at £30 per bin for collections between March and November 2025. This works out at around £1.67 for each collection.

This was not an easy decision to take, and the cost is the lowest across the region.