Blakelaw is an

electoral ward A ward is a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. In some countries, wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to t ...

situated in the West End of the city of

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...

in North East

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The population of the ward is 11,186, which is 4.6% of the city's population. Car ownership in the area is 50.6%: this is lower than the city average of 54.7%, increasing to 11,507 at the 2011 Census. House prices in this area average at £114,000 (Feb 2007). Blakelaw was developed in the early part of the 20th century in order to meet demand for more housing in the North East. During the Second World War a secret war centre was built in the old quarry and extended many levels below ground. This was the headquarters for

No 13 Group No. 13 Group was a group in the Royal Air Force for various periods in the 20th century. It is most famous for having the responsibility for defending the North of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain. First World Wa No. 13 Group RA ...

, who played a vital part in the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

. Five posts have been installed in Blakelaw Park as part of a 'listening trail' which tells the story of the life of the bunkers and people who worked in them. In terms of the Demographics of Blakelaw, it is very similar to many other parts of Newcastle. For age groups, 26.3% were 17 years old and under, 59.2% of its population was between the ages of 18 and 64, and 14.5% were over 65. In terms of Ethnicity it was 87.2% White, 6.8% Asian, 3.4% Black and 1.5% mixed which is a similar ethnic make up to quite a few parts of Newcastle but significantly less diverse as parts of the West End.

Education

The ward has one Nursery, Willow Avenue Community Nursery and three primary schools: Hilton Primary Academy on Hilton Avenue, Thomas Walling Primary Academy, and English Martyrs'. The now closed

Firfield Community School Firfield Community School was an 11 to 18 mixed, community secondary school in the Blakelaw ward of Newcastle upon Tyne, in the English county of Tyne and Wear. It received prominence in the media as the first school to relaunch under the Fre ...

(formerly Blakelaw Comprehensive School) was also located in the ward.

Recreation and leisure

The Blakelaw Centre houses a library, a community centre and a community cafe. The centre is operated by the Blakelaw Ward Community Partnership. Open green spaces in the ward are Blakelaw Park and the

Cowgate The Cowgate (Scots language, Scots: The Cougait) is a street in Edinburgh, Scotland, located about southeast of Edinburgh Castle, within the city's World Heritage Site. The street is part of the lower level of Edinburgh's Old Town, Edinburgh, ...

sports ground.

Boundary

The boundary of Blakelaw ward begins at the A1 junction with the Woolsington Bypass and Ponteland Road. It heads south-west along the A1 to the Stamdfordham Road junction and south to Slatyford Lane bus depot. The boundary joins Silver Lonnen and continues down to Netherby Drive and Fenham Hall Drive. It heads north up Moorside Road North to Ponteland Road where it continues back to the starting point of the A1 junction.

Political

Blakelaw is represented by three councillors: Councillor Marion Williams (Labour), Councillor Oskar Avery (Labour), Councillor Linda Hobson (Labour). It is also part of Newcastle Central Constituency and represented by Labour MP,

Chi Onwurah Chinyelu Susan Onwurah (born 12 April 1965) is a British Labour Party politician who has served as the Member of Parliament for Newcastle upon Tyne Central since 2010. She was shadow minister for Industrial Strategy, Science and Innovation u ...

. There is also a community council for Blakelaw and North Fenham.

Charts and tables

The ward has 4,882 housing spaces of which 3.2% are vacant this is lower than the city average of 5.3%. Owner occupied property stands at 52% slightly lower than the city average of 53.3%. The properties are as follows.

References

External links

Newcastle Council Ward Info: Blakelaw
{{T&W places Districts of Newcastle upon Tyne Wards of Newcastle upon Tyne