A North Jesmond councillor for the last six years, Stella Postlethwaite is currently studying part-time at Northumbria University, having already completed a masters degree in chemistry at Durham University. We asked her to tell us a little bit more about herself, what she thinks needs fixing in Jesmond and why voters should consider putting an X against her name on Thursday 5th May.

Why run for local election?

“I want to get the work done that was paused during the two years of the pandemic. I got involved with the Labour Party because I was unhappy with the government and I wanted to change things. This is still true.” 

What are the main issues you would tackle in Jesmond?

“I want to focus on bringing the community back together after the pandemic. There are issues with litter and we want to make sure we are doing what we can locally to tackle the climate crisis. I also want to tackle anti-social behaviour in a constructive way.”

What’s your opinion of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme?

“It’s important to reduce traffic to improve air quality in residential neighbourhoods. It should also make people feel safer cycling or walking. We have an ambitious target to be net zero by 2030. It will be a collaboration, between residents and the council, to make these plans effective. We will listen to resident feedback and input to help this process.”

How would you combat anti-social behaviour?

“This behaviour comes in many forms, such as noise and fly-tipping. Often it’s at the end of the academic year when student residents move out and landlords prepare for the next tenants. Working with the universities in previous years, we were able to fund skips to prevent this issue. However, this scheme was paused during the pandemic and I aim to get it back up and running. There are also schemes to minimise waste and donate to charities and food banks.”

How would you bridge the gap between local and student residents?

“After speaking to residents, I don’t think the divide between local and student residents is felt by everyone. Some have great relationships with their neighbours and that particular street doesn’t feel divided… whereas others don’t have such great relationships. The goal is to have the former. We have been trying to organise events that will attract both types of residents to help improve the feeling of community.”

What would you do to improve the environment in Jesmond?

“I would like to improve biodiversity by planting trees and other plants. I want to increase the amount of electric vehicle charging points as more residents make this switch. I also want to collaborate with the universities to encourage student rented properties to make use of their outdoor garden spaces.”

JesmondLocal will be hosting its local election hustings tonight (Tuesday 3rd May) at Jesmond Library from 7:45pm-9:45pm. Submit your questions for the candidates via the event Facebook page. The event is open to all, so come along to find out more about the candidates, their priorities, policies and plans – and get a chance to have your say.