Nick Forbes (right) on Jesmond walkabout

JesmondLocal accompanied the new leader of Newcastle City Council, Nick Forbes, on a walk around Jesmond this lunchtime (Tuesday 7th June).

During his two-hour walkabout  – one of a series of such events in wards around the city – Forbes spoke with local residents, community leaders, police officers, neighbourhood response teams and councillors and heard some of the main challenges facing Jesmond: from litter and parking to anti-social behaviour, unsightly letting boards and HMOs (houses of multiple occupancy).

The tour began at Newcastle Cricket Club on Osborne Avenue and finished on St George’s Terrace at Jesmond Pool, which Forbes said he hoped could act as a model for how other “assets” within the city could be run. Listen here to what else he had to say:

Forbes was re-elected unopposed as the leader of the Labour group on 8th May and formally elected as leader of the City Council on 25th May.