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Campaigners who want plans for a controversial section of the Great North Road cycle route shelved will present their case to Newcastle City Council.

The council is planning to build a bike path along Great North Road between Broadway roundabout and the Brunton Lane junction. It will form part of the wider Darlington to Blyth Great North Cycleway.

One of the plans is to shut car access to a service road which runs parallel to Great North Road near Polwarth Drive. The road would be reserved for cyclists.

Mark Loftus is a Gosforth parish councillor. He is presenting a petition asking councillors to reconsider the plans at Newcastle Civic Centre on Wednesday evening.

He says the service road is currently open to one-way traffic and is ‘perfectly safe’.

Mr Loftus said: “The council want to block it from the bottom end to make it safe for cyclists. Believe me, there’s half a dozen cyclists there every day, 99% of houses on this road want that road open (to traffic).”

The plans would mean those who use the access road would have to turn in from Polwarth Road. This road, Mr Loftus says, is already dangerous due to a blind corner which faces motorists as they turn in.

Mr Loftus said: “We’ve got to keep the road open. Yesterday we had 25 signs up in people’s gardens. As you’re driving past I think people get the idea that we want the road to remain open.”

Petitioners are concerned emergency vehicles may struggle to access to the area if the plans go ahead, and say the new route is actually dangerous for cyclists.

The petitioners say the council can “explore better alternatives” for the cycle route.

Newcastle City Council says: “The proposed improvements will not only benefit cyclists, but will also bring about significant environmental, health and financial benefits for everyone as part of our wider transport improvement plans.”

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Watch huge amount of traffic in Gosforth area

It consulted on the plans between November and December. Responses indicated a preference for more two-way cycle roads. The council says it was asked to close the access road to improve safety for cyclists.

Work is due to begin on the project by the summer.

Reports on education and tackling crime are also set to be heard by council tonight.

The education report says extra school places are needed due to Newcastle’s growth. The extra places can be created through expanding existing schools or opening new free schools. It also finds the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers is shrinking but the area still remains a priority for the council. A level results - the report says - are “well below” national averages, while the council finds is finding it “increasingly challenging” to fund schools in light of reduced Government grants.

The council will also discuss Safe Newcastle’s 2016-19 Tackling Crime, Protecting Communities plan,

It identifies tackling anti-social behaviour in deprived communities, reducing the impact of substance abuse, clamping down on violence against women and safeguarding people from extremism and radicalism as priorities.