Newcastle alley gates 'may be reopened for pensioners'

29/10/2009

An alley gate fitted in Westbury Park, Newcastle may be reopened for four hours a day in order to give pensioners better access to the shops.

Gates were installed in the alley between Churston Close and Westbury Road two years ago as part of measures to crack down on antisocial behaviour in the area, the Sentinel reports.

However, the closure means that local people have to walk along Westbury Road and cross a car park to get to the nearest supermarket and chemist, which has raised concerns among elderly residents.

"We are asking for the gates to be open only four hours a day to make it easier for all the elderly residents to get to the shops, without having to deal with any traffic," local woman Marjorie Morton told the paper.

It was recently reported in Gazette Live that a Middlesbrough councillor is urging local people to help an alley gating scheme to succeed.