Tynemouth Matters

23/10/2026

🔴 £11.6 MILLION OVERSPEND FORECAST — RESIDENTS DESERVE ANSWERS

More worrying news for North Tyneside’s finances. The council is forecasting an overspend of almost £11.6 million this financial year.

🏘️ Behind the figures are services that people depend on, with children’s services and adult social care facing rising costs. Protecting vulnerable residents must remain a priority.

But Labour’s administration still needs to explain how it will close the gap — and what its plans will mean for our communities.

For residents represented by Tynemouth’s Conservative councillors Lewis and J Bartoli, sound finances and dependable local services matter. Every pound is public money and should be spent wisely.

💬 What would you like the council to explain about its finances? Share your questions below.

23/10/2026

🚨 LABOUR'S UNFAIR SPENDING REVIEW: WHY IS NORTH TYNESIDE LOSING OUT?

We've been examining the Labour Government's changes to council funding, and the differences across the North East are staggering.

By 2028/29, compared with 2025/26, projected changes in government-controlled funding (excluding council tax) are:

✅ Middlesbrough: UP 32.77%

✅ Durham: UP 13.89%

✅ Newcastle: UP 12.27%

✅ Northumberland: UP 6.95%

❌ North Tyneside: DOWN 3.23%

These figures are particularly worrying following confirmation from North Tyneside Council that its annual government-controlled funding will fall by £8.3 MILLION between 2026/27 and 2028/29.

And this comes when the Council is already forecasting an £11.6 million overspend this financial year.

To make matters worse, the government assumes North Tyneside will collect £5.5 million more in council tax by 2028/29 than the council's own forecasts suggest.

So we're facing reduced government funding, increasing financial pressures and greater reliance on local council taxpayers.

We are not suggesting that neighbouring councils should receive less. But North Tyneside residents deserve to know why our borough is facing such a difficult settlement.

We have written to the Labour Mayor asking what action she has taken to challenge the government and secure a fairer deal.

We've also offered to work constructively across party lines to press for more funding for North Tyneside.

It's time to put North Tyneside residents first and demand our fair share.

👇 Do you think our borough is getting a fair deal?

22/10/2026

🚨 LABOUR'S FUNDING SHAKE-UP LEAVES NORTH TYNESIDE £8.3 MILLION WORSE OFF!

💷 Less government funding, more pressure on council taxpayers!

We've been examining the government's fair funding review and have now received confirmation of the figures.

The figures make worrying reading.

❌ 2026/27: £137.8 MILLION

❌ 2028/29: £129.5 MILLION

That's an £8.3 MILLION reduction, approximately 6%, in annual government-controlled funding over just two years.

And here's the sting in the tail.

💷 The Government's funding calculations assume councils increase council tax by 4.99% each year, alongside growth in the number of properties paying council tax.

In fact, the government assumes North Tyneside will raise £160.9m in council tax by 2028/29, some £5.5m MORE than the council's own financial forecast.

So, while the cost of delivering essential services continues to rise, government funding is being reduced, and more reliance is being placed on council taxpayers.

We have a straightforward question for North Tyneside's Labour Mayor.

What representations is she making to her colleagues in the Labour government to secure a fairer funding settlement for North Tyneside?

Residents already face rising household bills and council tax increases. They deserve a council that fights for its fair share of government funding.

We will be pressing the Mayor to challenge these figures and demand a better deal for North Tyneside.

What do you think? 👇

22/10/2026

Huge congratulations to Estelle on winning Chiropractor of the Year! 👏 A great friend, a wonderful person and a real community champion. So well deserved, Estelle! ❤️

21/10/2026

An improvement on the previous plans—but where will everyone park? 🏘️🚗

The latest proposal for 46 homes beside Tynemouth Metro Station is definitely an improvement on the previous seven-storey block, which we felt was completely out of keeping with the village.

These artists' impressions show a design that looks far more sympathetic to its surroundings. But the parking provision remains a major concern.

Just 25 spaces are proposed for 46 homes, some with four bedrooms. In our view, that is completely inadequate.

Being next to the Metro is a real advantage, but it doesn’t remove the need for cars for many households. Where will residents with additional vehicles—and their visitors—park?

A separate car park is proposed north of the station, but how that would serve the development needs to be clear.

A better design is welcome. The parking question still needs a convincing answer.

What do you think?

📋 Planning reference: 26/01389/FULM
Images: artist’s impressions of the proposed development.

20/10/2026

With Percy Park RFC – I just got recognised as one of their top fans! 🎉

19/10/2026

REFORM MUST ACT. WORDS ARE NOT ENOUGH.

North Tyneside Conservatives are demanding the suspension of Reform Councillor Martin Uren after he shared a video containing deeply offensive and baseless allegations about gay and le***an adoptive parents.

He has since deleted the post and apologised, but serious questions remain about other material shared on his page.

Our Group Leader, Cllr John Johnson, has called for his immediate suspension pending a full and fair investigation.

Only days earlier, Reform assured us that it condemned discrimination in all its forms.

Now is the time to prove it.

Instead, Reform’s response has been to attack the Conservatives.

This isn’t about political point-scoring. It’s about the standards we expect from people elected to represent our communities.

Every resident deserves dignity and respect. No exceptions.

𝗡𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗛 𝗧𝗬𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗥 𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗧 𝗔𝗙𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝗦𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗩𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗢 𝗖𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗚𝗔𝗬 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗣𝗟𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗗𝗢𝗣𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗠𝗢𝗟𝗘𝗦𝗧 𝗖𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗗𝗥𝗘𝗡

A North Tyneside Reform UK councillor is facing calls from opposition parties to resign after sharing a homophobic social media post.

Councillor Martin Uren, a Reform UK councillor representing the Camperdown Ward, shared a video on social media that contained the speaker saying "I absolutely, 100% believe that gay couples adopt children to mo**st them" with the councillor using the caption "I could write an entire essay with regards to this, the point is made".

Councillor Uren removed the post when contacted by ShoutAbout Local, saying:

"I have removed post and believe this statement be false. I apologise for any offence as I did not realise the video went on to say that."

Uren says that he'd want more safeguards in place: "I would ask for better safeguarding procedures put in place, and more stringent vetting process are employed during the adoption process. Greater emphasis on psychotherapy and behavioural assessment before candidates are allowed to adopt".

He continued:

"I believe Oldham Council and Adoption Now, are reviewing procedure and I very much welcome that. I have complete many safeguarding vulnerable adults and children training courses and the evidence states men are 91%-99% of s*xual assaults and rapes are carried out by men and not women, just to be clear."

Opposition parties have condemned the post, with the Conservative group leader calling for Uren's suspension and Labour calling for him to stand down.

Councillor John Johnson, leader of North Tyneside Conservative Group said:

“I am sickened and appalled by the material Councillor Uren has shared, and I condemn it unequivocally. Our concerns extend beyond one video to a number of other deeply unacceptable posts on his page.

“On 17 October, ahead of the airing of ITV’s undercover investigation, I wrote to North Tyneside’s Reform councillors seeking reassurance that racism, s*xism and discrimination would not be tolerated. I received an unequivocal assurance that their elected representatives condemned discrimination in all its forms, without exception. I accepted that assurance in good faith.

“To then discover this material is outrageous. In my view, it raises the same fundamental question as ITV’s investigation: what lies behind Reform’s carefully presented public image? Residents are entitled to judge the party by the conduct of its elected representatives, and to demand more than reassuring words when that conduct is challenged.

“Reform cannot keep offering assurances while expecting the public to overlook the conduct of its own representatives. Its leadership must confront these concerns and take action.

“Every resident deserves fair representation and respect, whatever their background, religion or s*xual orientation. I have called for Councillor Uren’s immediate suspension from the Reform group pending a full and fair investigation, with an opportunity for him to respond.

A Labour Group spokesperson went further, calling for Uren to resign, saying:

“The video shared by Councillor Uren contains utterly vile and baseless allegations about gay and le***an parents. There is no place for such prejudice in our communities, particularly from someone elected to represent them.

“What makes this even more concerning is that this does not appear to be an isolated incident. Other material shared on his page raises further serious questions about his judgement and the standards expected of an elected councillor.

“Councillor Uren must explain why he shared this material and what he meant when he said ‘the point is made’. We believe he should stand down, and Reform UK must explain what action it intends to take.

“The people of North Tyneside deserve representatives who treat every community with dignity and respect.”

Cllr Helen Bell of the Green Party said:

"LGBTQ+ parents across North Tyneside raise loving, happy children every day, contributing to the fabric of our schools and neighbourhoods.

"To see a local Councillor sharing and validating vile homophobic conspiracy theories which vilify same s*x adoptive parents is not just an insult to LGBTQ+ families across North Tyneside, but a direct attack on the inclusive, welcoming spirit of our community. The Reform Party cannot claim to represent local people while allowing its elected representatives to spread hate."

A Reform UK spokesman said:

“At no point did Councillor Uren endorse the contents of the video. He has apologised for any offence caused and clarified that he disagreed with the statements it contained.

“We would take the faux outrage from the North Tyneside Conservatives more seriously if they had condemned Kemi Badenoch’s decision to hire convicted antisemite and former neo N**i Joshua Bonehill-Paine as a senior adviser.”

19/10/2026

MORE INVESTMENT IN TYNEMOUTH 👏

It’s great to see more investment and new businesses choosing Tynemouth.
Plans have been revealed for Plaza, a new bar and restaurant at Palace Buildings overlooking Longsands, alongside the new Eatflix 5D cinema. Both are expected to be ready in time for Christmas.

The new venue takes its name from the old Tynemouth Plaza and aims to give a familiar part of our local history a new chapter.
New businesses bring jobs, visitors and investment into our area, as well as helping keep Tynemouth a vibrant place to live and visit.

What do you think of the plans?

19/10/2026

🚧 ROAD CLOSURES AND RESURFACING WORKS IN TYNEMOUTH | 27 & 28 OCTOBER

Residents and motorists are being advised of temporary road closures and diversions while resurfacing works take place on Percy Park Road and Allendale Place.

📅 Tuesday 27 and Wednesday 28 October
🕕 6pm to midnight

The works are being carried out in the evening to minimise disruption.

🚗 What you need to know:
✅ Temporary road closures will be in place.
✅ Signed diversion routes will operate.
✅ The zebra and pelican crossings affected by the works will be temporarily suspended.
✅ Pedestrian access will be managed during the works.

We've requested and received the traffic management plans from North Tyneside Council so residents can see how the works will affect the area.

While there will inevitably be some inconvenience, resurfacing these roads is welcome news and should make a real difference to their condition.

📢 Please plan ahead, allow extra time for your journey and share this information with anyone who regularly travels through Tynemouth.

19/10/2026

🚨 TWO WEEKS. THREE GREEN COUNCILLORS. NO CLEAR ANSWERS.

The Green Party has adopted a motion declaring "Zionism is racism".

North Tyneside Council unanimously endorsed the IHRA definition of antisemitism in 2018, including an example that conflicts with this motion.

✅ The Mayor has condemned the motion.

❓ But where do our three Green councillors stand?

We've asked them to condemn the motion and reaffirm their commitment to the Council's longstanding position.

One of Tynemouth's own councillors joined the Greens just after this controversial policy was adopted.

Residents have every right to know what their representatives believe.
If you support it, defend it. If you oppose it, condemn it.
Watch the video. 👇