Environmentalists urged council bosses to ban the use of plastic grass in the city center.

In the summer, Newcastle’s dockside uses artificial turf and covers the road on Blackett Street.

Activists have previously complained about the use of fake grass. They called it a "huge carbon footprint" and called on the Newcastle City Council to stop using it on the land it owns.

The committee said it could not stop its use, but supported biodiversity.

NE1, a business improvement company that organizes summer events in the city, said it tried to "use as little artificial grass as possible."

Fake grass strips have been laid in recent weeks as part of an event aimed at encouraging more people to enter the city.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service stated that after a similar complaint was used at Cowgate intersection last year, the city council promised it was a “one-off”.

Rachel Locke of Save Newcastle Wildlife Organization said she was "shocked" by seeing plastic grass "widely used" in public places.

"It has a huge carbon footprint and breaks down into small pieces, and then enters our water, food and air," she said.

Ben Whitfield, NE1's director of marketing and events, said that the use of natural grasses in busy areas is "not practical" at all.

"Paving real turf and having to replace it every time it is damaged will have a greater impact on the environment, and it is not feasible," he said.

"We use reusable ones, most of which have been used in NE1 activities and installations in previous years."

He added that the monument and Grainger Street, as well as dozens of large plantations along the wharf, were planted with real trees.

The committee stated that the government stated that it has no plans to make planning permission a requirement for the use of plastic grass, adding that it has no plans to use it elsewhere.

A spokesperson said that as part of its redevelopment plan, it is "working hard to create cleaner, greener, healthier and more pleasant spaces in the city," which will include more natural landscapes.

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