Residents in Blakelaw and Cowgate have said they are afraid to leave their homes as anti-social behaviour continues to blight the area.
Issues with vandalism and anti-social behaviour have even led local bus operator Stagecoach to withdraw its night-time services due to concerns that the area is no longer safe for drivers and passengers after buses were attacked “with bricks”.
A motion presented to Newcastle City Council on Wednesday said residents were facing “serious harm”, with fires being set around football pitches and in bins. Emergency service workers have also been attacked.
Speaking at Wednesday’s meeting, Councillor Irene Turnbull said: “Residents are frightened to leave their homes. This is a significant community safety concern affecting people’s lives.
“Police presence has increased and residents know how to report issues, but problems persist. Residents deserve to feel safe in their community and to see positive improvements for their children.
“Short-term measures are insufficient. We ask the cabinet to implement a strategy to address anti-social behaviour in Blakelaw and Cowgate.”
Stagecoach said the safety of its drivers and customers was “paramount” and that services would only be reintroduced to Blakelaw when it was safe to do so.
In October, a meeting at Blakelaw and District Social Club heard how residents had been affected by the behaviour of young people in the area.
The meeting was told that one family home in Lilac Crescent had been targeted by youths, who were kicking the doors and “ramming scooters against the door”.
However, a significant amendment put forward by the Green Party widened the scope of the motion to include the entire city.
It pointed out that Northumbria Police recorded 7,789 incidents of anti-social behaviour in Newcastle in the 12 months to July 2026.
Although this was a 10 per cent reduction on the previous year, the Greens said the figures “demonstrate the continuing scale of the problem”.
The Greens also claimed there was a “contradiction” between Reform’s national plans to reduce public spending by £80 billion and local members calling for additional investment in youth services, community safety and preventative work.
Green Councillor Matt Williams said: “These ongoing reports are deeply concerning. The worst part is the fear this instils in local people, forcing them to think twice before leaving the house – no-one should have to do that.
“This amendment provides a clear picture of anti-social behaviour across our city and looks at the symptoms to the root causes. These stories just sound all too familiar, they’re not solely confined to Blakelaw and Cowgate – they’re spread across the city.
“It’s not all doom and gloom – there’s strong examples to follow with the brilliant work in Walker which have showed signs of turning things around. However, we need significant national investment in youth services.
“The problem is deeper than that – it’s not just borne out of boredom, but of a deep sense of feeling left behind.”
The council’s deputy leader, Councillor Mark Mitchell of the Liberal Democrats, added: “The administration is trying to move us forward. We have appointed a cabinet member with responsibility for youth services and we have had upfront investment in youth services over the summer.
“We have set out a starting point. We have also talked about our ambition for the city and our ambition not to leave anybody behind.
“We’re clear on where we stand. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Blakelaw or Walker, we want to move the city forward. We are investing in tackling anti-social behaviour.
“We recognise there are specific issues. We are working to try and address these issues with communities and we will continue to do that whether it’s discussed in the council chamber or not because it matters to the city.”
The amendment passed by 39 votes to 23, with one abstention. The amended motion was passed unanimously.
