Housing in Jesmond could come under greater scrutiny following the appointment of local councillor James Coles to Newcastle City Council’s Cabinet.

Cllr Coles, who represents North Jesmond, has become Cabinet Member for Sustainable Housing and Green Investment, giving him responsibility for housing policy across Newcastle.

But while he said housing remains a priority for his ward, he acknowledged that his new responsibilities leave him with less time to deal directly with residents’ everyday concerns.

Cllr Coles, who previously represented North Jesmond, was re-elected in May 2026 alongside Philip Browne and Peter Allen, as the Liberal Democrats took all three Jesmond seats. Following the election, he joined the Cabinet, which is responsible for most of the council’s major strategic decisions. Its members are appointed by the council leader, and each oversees a specific policy area.

The council’s current Cabinet has 10 members, all Liberal Democrats, while Reform UK’s Cllr Steven Rutherford leads the opposition. “It is what it is. It’s democracy,” Cllr Rutherford told JesmondLocal, referring to the Liberal Democrats’ agreement with the Green Party to support the administration.

However, he argued that residents were not yet seeing enough action on local issues. “I feel housing isn’t being addressed at all.”

One of Cllr Coles’s main priorities is, he said, to reduce pressure from Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), properties rented by several unrelated people, often students. He said overcrowding can increase pressure on waste collection, parking and local services. Cllr Coles said he wants to extend Article 4 coverage across Jesmond. An Article 4 Direction introduced in 2011 removed the automatic right to convert a family home into a small HMO without planning permission in the areas it covers.

The Jesmond Residents Association has campaigned to “stop family homes being converted into HMOs”. The JRA did not respond to JesmondLocal’s request for further comment.

Cllr Coles said that “one of the things that we’ve been comfortable with is looking at a progressive reduction in the number of students living in areas like Jesmond.” The Cabinet says it hopes to encourage more student accommodation in the city centre, where Cllr Coles said he believes housing and nightlife are better suited to student needs.

The administration is also reviewing HMO licensing fees. Cllr Coles said he wants higher fees to give the council more resources to inspect properties and address landlords who overcrowd them. These changes are still being considered. Cllr Coles said the council’s housing policy is expected in the coming months.

Asked whether his new Cabinet responsibilities would leave him less time for local concerns, Cllr Coles said: “There’s probably a little bit less time directly dealing with some of the day-to-day issues.”

Cllr Rutherford criticised the administration’s housing record, arguing that it had not done enough to bring empty homes back into use. He mentioned vacant properties in his own ward of Denton and Westerhope. At its October 19th meeting, the Cabinet approved a draft policy on managing vacant council properties. The decision does not establish how many homes will be returned to use or when. Cllr Rutherford also accused the Liberal Democrats of failing to do enough to protect green spaces in communities.

Cllr Coles’s portfolio includes green investment, but he did not identify a specific new green investment project for Jesmond.