Software engineer Laura Cummings has been campaigning for the Labour party for more than a year, after feeling, she says, frustrated with budget cuts under the Conservatives. She says she is passionate about supporting young women and girls to get into STEM subjects and has been a community volunteer for a few years. Her motivations come from, she says, being happy to help others and being involved in the Jesmond community. 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 feel like I’ve got the experience from being involved in the party and working alongside other councillors and seeing the work they do. Felicity Mendelson is standing down as councillor which means big shoes to fill. Coming out of Covid, with the world returning back to normal… it’s about making sure everyone’s involved.”

What are the main issues you would tackle in Jesmond?

“A little bit goes a long way if we can, as a ward, do little bits to prioritise cyclists and pedestrians. With more emphasis on walking, car-use becomes secondary, and that helps us city-wide. The issues that we have in this ward are usually about students and long term residents getting along, so we need to tackle anti-social behaviour and make sure people feel safe in their community.

“There are issues around litter and bins in back lanes, so it’s about tackling that as well. With the Jesmond Litter Pick we try to make sure that every single month we are tackling different parts of the ward and areas where people feel where there is a lot of littering happening. There are plans for more sessions and enlisting the help of more venues.”

What is your opinion of the Low Traffic Neighbourhood scheme?

“Following the closing of the [Haldane] bridge, there has been lots of information shared to help people travel around Jesmond more on foot, especially around the schools – for example, encouraging parents and carers to take their children to school on foot rather than take the car. More cycle lanes will come into place too, so I would encourage people to use these and also see how the residents feel about it. But, of course, it’s important that we take action to ensure we cut our carbon footprint.”

How would you combat anti-social behaviour?

“I would work alongside the universities, getting more involved with the students and seeing how the issue affects people. I would want to see Operation Oak in action, walking on patrols with the police, staying in contact with them and regularly updating residents, as well as listening to their concerns.”

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

“There is a big divide. What’s important is getting everybody involved, no matter what street you live on. Events like the Jesmond Community Festival will hopefully help, as a means of enabling people to come together. I would also be looking to work with the landlords who are housing the students. It’s important that student properties are properly looked after, not least on streets where there are also long term residents. It’s important that voices from both local and student residents are heard. We must look after both parties, getting them to come together in different ways and looking to resolve any issues that are raised.”

How would you improve the environment in Jesmond?

“There are some cycle lanes that need to be tackled, making sure they’re clearer. Parking permits are helping to tackle climate change by reducing car use and encouraging people to walk more around Jesmond. Hopefully the closing of the [Haldane] bridge is going will help the move towards Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. The little part we can do as Jesmond helps the city as a whole.”

JesmondLocal will be hosting its local election hustings on Tuesday 3rd of 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.