Newcastle City centre bollard plan to stop terror attack
Sep 10 2010 by Adam Jupp, The Journal
ONE of the region’s main shopping streets is to have bollards installed at every entrance as part of measures to stop a terror attack.
In a £450,000 move, around 100 bollards will be installed on the entrances to Northumberland Street in Newcastle.
Security experts from MI5 travelled to the city to advise council bosses on the things they should introduce to make Northumberland Street less vulnerable to a terror strike.
But some local shopkeepers have branded the move “ridiculous” and “outrageous”.
A third of the cost will be met by a Government grant, and the project will be completed by March 2012.
Access to the popular shopping street will be heavily restricted, leaving vehicles with just one route in and one route out of the area. Drivers will have to book time slots if they need to carry out deliveries or maintenance work on the street.
Coun Nick Forbes, whose Westgate ward includes Northumberland Street, said: “It is important to point out that there is no specific threat to Northumberland Street, or Newcastle generally, but we live in uncertain times and unfortunately these kind of measures have to be taken in order to protect the public.
“I am sure we would all much rather we could rely on people to behave in the way we would expect but we have seen the devastation that can be caused by determined terrorists and it is important we take whatever steps are necessary to ensure this never happens in Newcastle.”
Exploratory digging as part of the first phase of the scheme is beginning this week and will focus on the bottom of Northumberland Street, where it joins Blackett Street.
