Call for more scrutiny over controversial 'Tilesheds flyover' rail crossing planned for East Boldon

With the support of Network Rail, South Tyneside Council is exploring plans to build a bridge structure to replace two level crossings in the borough.

The scheme aims to act as an alternative to replacing existing half barriers with full barriers at Tileshed Lane and Boldon Lane – which the council say would increase congestion and delays on the road network.

In recent months, the plans have sparked opposition with an online petition from the South Tyneside Environmental Protection group gathering more than 3,700 signatures.

Concerns include the potential impact on residents and local wildlife, with other members of the public questioning the reasons for the proposals.

This week, Green Party opposition councillor David Francis asked for the issue to be discussed by one of the council’s scrutiny panels, the Place Select Committee.

“There are a lot of conflicting viewpoints going around and there’s conflicting evidence in some cases as well,” he said.

“It’s important that that is debated openly and publicly and that those questions can be put and the challenge can be made and that we as a scrutiny committee, scrutinise those decisions and make recommendations based on our findings.”

The request was made at a virtual meeting of the Place Select Committee on Tuesday (December 1), of which Cllr Francis is a member.

Labour councillor Mark Walsh, cabinet member for housing and transport, stressed the proposals were in the feasibility and design stage and that no decision had been made yet.

He said that a debate on the proposals should be programmed at a later stage when the council has more information to be able to answer questions from the panel.

Cllr Walsh also offered to meet with Cllr Francis to discuss the scheme and timescales around it, adding: “You’re absolutely right, it does need to have that debate and we will have that debate.”

Councillors were told that the proposals were prompted by Network Rail’s plans to install full barriers as the current half barriers are considered a “serious risk.”

Council chiefs said they had a responsibility to explore potential options to reduce the impact on the borough’s road network.

Although provisional funding sources have been identified, Cllr Walsh said a final decision to progress bridge plans further is far from certain.

Cllr Walsh told the meeting: “Yes we have provisionally got funding from the Transforming Cities Fund but that is still subject to a full business case and the full business case won’t be submitted until after the feasibility and design work has been carried out.

“If we do decide that that is the way to go forward and it may not [be] – we may ultimately decide that we have to accept the impact of having full barriers put into place.

“If that is the case, then through our highways team we will have to look at how we manage the traffic flow around the borough because obviously there will be increased down time at the crossing points with the full barriers.

“They’re ultimately the two main options that we have before us and if the decision is taken following the feasibility and design, because it’s a major development, it will have to be considered by the planning authority and ultimately by the [council’s] Planning Committee.

“Provisional timescales for that to go to the Planning Committee is late summer / early Autumn in 2021, so there is still a long way to go yet before a final decision is made on this.”

In a statement after the meeting, the South Tyneside Environmental Protection (STEP) group described the project as “unwanted and unnecessary” and thanked Cllr Francis for highlighting the issue.

The group added: “STEP are now hopeful councillors and South Tyneside Council will listen to the petition against the proposed Tilesheds flyover.”

South Tyneside Council has previously invited local people to learn more about the proposed scheme, ask questions and provide feedback.

For more information, visit www.southtyneside.gov.uk/btlc

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