Retailers on Jesmond’s Acorn Road say limited parking is putting pressure on small businesses. While some say they support Newcastle’s greener transport goals, others believe the balance has tipped too far.

Acorn Road was restructured in the mid-2010s under Newcastle City Council’s Cycle City Ambition Fund, part of a wider effort to improve air quality and make walking and cycling safer. The changes made the street one-way, widened pavements and added cycle racks, which transformed it into one of Newcastle’s most walkable and attractive high streets.

But for some business owners, including Steven Robson of Acorn Hardware, the new layout comes with challenges. “Acorn Road is a vibrant, popular and much loved part of Jesmond,” he told JesmondLocal, “but parking, like anywhere, is getting, at times, a little bit stressful for some road users.”

Robson said the one-way conversion was controversial at the time. “When Newcastle City Council made the road a one-way system many years ago, it attracted a lot of criticism and doubters,” he said. “After some compromises, and a few more spaces, the general consensus is approval — even if we still see cars driving down the wrong way. I blame sat-nav!”

Other traders are less optimistic. Fiona Harker, owner of Acorn Outfitters, told JesmondLocal: “The permits, short-term parking and lack of the number of parking bays affect our business as it puts people off visiting the street.” Many drivers, she added, “are not sure of the parking rules on the signage, especially the older customers.”

Residents on social media have shared similar frustrations. In the Jesmond Community Group on Facebook. One worker said they were “really struggling to figure out” where to park for full shifts in the area, while others described parking as “often difficult” and “very limited for good reasons”. Some residents argued that “park and ride” or public transport were better options, while others complained about having to park “three streets away” from their homes.

According to Newcastle City Council, schemes like Acorn Road’s redesign support a long-term strategy to make local centres “safer, cleaner and more accessible for active travel”.

However, for many local retailers on Acorn Road and Jesmond in general, the question remains: how to keep Jesmond’s high streets both green and profitable for their businesses.

What are your thoughts on parking around Acorn Road? Have you struggled to find a space or adjusted how you travel there? Share your experiences in the comments below.