Jesmond bus depot has closed its doors for the final time, after a dispute between travel company Arriva and union Unite was resolved just hours before a proposed strike was set to start.

The depot on Portland Terrace – the only Arriva depot operating in Newcastle city – is a listed building and was deemed “no longer suitable for modern bus operations” by Arriva when it was sold at the end of 2019 to an undisclosed buyer. It was then leased back to Arriva for three years.

The dispute was sparked when Arriva announced its intention to relocate workers to temporary depots in Blyth and Durham. The workers said the compensation packages offered were insubstantial, and the move would put some members of staff at risk of redundancy. Unite subsequently announced that workers would strike, starting on Friday 21 October, with 97% of workers voting in favour of industrial action.

In an official statement at the time, Unite regional office Dave Telford, said:

“Strike action will cause severe disruption to passengers in the short-term but the closure of the Jesmond depot will result in a permanent reduction in services for local bus users.

“This action is being taken as a last resort and is entirely of Arriva’s own making. The company needs to enter into constructive negotiations with Unite on alternatives to closure.”

Arriva provided an improved package for drivers that included daily relocation payments and a series of one-off payments over the coming months. The package was accepted by Unite and the workers on Wednesday 19 October, the strike was called off on Thursday 20 October and the depot was closed on Monday 31 October. Staff and buses have been relocated to Ashington, Blyth and Durham.

JesmondLocal asked South Jesmond councillors for a comment on the depots’ closure and future of the site, but recieved no response.