Motorcycle disruptions are a regular topic at council meetings across Tyne and Wear, with concerns about speeding, noise and public safety, and the proposed model follows in the footsteps of police in Scotland.
On Wednesday 19th January an update was provided to Sunderland’s most recent Examination Coordinating Committee on steps taken to find a suitable location for the drivers to be accommodated in Wearside, South Tyneside and Gateshead.
Stephen Laverton, strategic manager for the Council for Community Safety and Security, said he was “hoping to come up with some really good news” after a potential site was identified, but this has fallen.
He said: “There has been some environmental work done by South Tyneside and the Council who have ruled it out on ecological grounds and some protected species so we’re back to the drawing board.
“We are looking for a piece of land in Sunderland, Gateshead and South Tyneside where people can actually ride used motorcycles and quads.
“We realize that if we don’t actually provide something to them, we’re going to see a continuation of this problem.”
He added that they hope to push the program further this year, acknowledging that motorcycle disruption is a common concern from local residents.
After being updated as part of the annual Safer Sunderland report, Cllr asked Melanie Thornton for more details on how the program would help address the off-road biker problem.
The Copt Hill representative said: “Ordinance on motorcycle accidents is obviously high on residents’ priorities and on my community it certainly is.
“My only concern with finding an area within these three local authorities is that that’s great for people using them legally, but the ones we’re worried about are the illegal users.”
Mr Laverton pointed out that police have already set up a working group to look into the issue and have held discussions with police in Scotland, who have already adopted a similar system on how best to implement it.
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