New 20mph speed default in Wales will ‘take time’ before its accepted

Mistakes were made with 20mph speed limit trial in North Wales, according to the Welsh Government minister responsible for orchestrating the biggest change on Welsh roads in decades. From September 17, a new default 20mph speed limit will apply to roads in built-up areas, unless exceptions are made locally.

No exemptions were given to a pilot area based around Buckley^[1], Flintshire^[2], and Lee Waters‍‌‌‌‌‌, deputy minister for climate change, accepted this was the wrong approach. However it enabled lessons to be learned and it showed that “exemptions were in fact the right way to go”, he told the Senedd in a debate.

The deputy minister believes that, in years to come, the 20mph policy will be seen as a triumph – it will have saved lives, cut noise, improved active travel and strengthened communities. But he accepted there were hurdles that first had to be overcome, not least public acceptance.

“This will be a difficult policy, there’s no doubt about it,” said Mr Waters. “This is the biggest change in road safety and in public health in the history of the time the Senedd has been sitting.

“It’s a major change in behaviour for people who have been trained and spent all their lives driving at 30mph. Just as it took time to get used to seatbelts and smoking in public places, and paying for carrier bags, and breathalysers, it will take time.”

The Senedd debate was triggered by a petition signed by 21,000 people claiming 20mph defaults will penalise commuters and could increase road rage. Opposition members lined up to criticise a policy that Public Health Wales says will save six to 10 lives and 1,200-2,000 casualties each year.

Natasha Asghar, Tory member for South Wales East, wore black to symbolise the “death of the 30mph default speed limit” in Wales. “It’s clear there is no appetite for 20mph limits being placed across the country,” she said. “Businesses don’t want them. Residents don’t want them. We don’t want them.”

But with little hope of a U-turn, attention has turned to the exceptions process, and why so few have been permitted. Jack Sargeant, Labour^[4] MS for Alyn and Deeside, said it was clear that “some roads do not need to be 20mph”.

He’s been contacted by Buckley^[5] residents making “very reasonable” cases for the B5125 and A549 to be excluded. “It is absolutely vital that we get this exemptions process right and that local people can identify roads that will remain at 30mph,” he said.

Will drivers respect the new 20mph limits? Let us know in the comments below.^[6]

Carolyn Thomas, Labour MS for North Wales, believes the lack of exemptions is partly a resource issue, with council highway departments operating at “skeletal” levels. One local authority, it was claimed by Tory MS Joel James, has “ceased all traffic management programmes” to divert funding to the 20mph roll-out.

As a former Flintshire Council^[7] cabinet member, Ms Thomas said Buckley agreed to be a pilot on the understanding that certain main routes could be exempt. Previously, Saltney was also considered for inclusion in the pilot, she revealed.

“It would be introduced outside schools, dense residential areas such as housing estates, but not along the main arterial routes,” she said. “However, Welsh Government^[8] officials were strict about the exceptions criteria, and that meant all the arterial roads had to be included. There was more or less a blanket reduction to 20mph.”

This approach has now apparently changed, but Ms Thomas said the exemptions criteria are “still too strict”, with councils having little flexibility to make changes. She added: “I think the issue also is that local authorities are worried about the liability if they increase a road back up to 30mph against the criteria and there’s an accident.”

Making a similar point was Plaid Cymru^[9] leader Llyr Gruffydd MS, who said the number of exempted roads in North Wales was “much lower” than he envisaged when he supported the legislation. “My challenge to the deputy minister is what is he and the Government doing is to make sure that local authorities don’t just conclude that it’s easier just to make everything 20 mph,” he said.

In Buckley, Flintshire Council reviewed several roads following public feedback. It identified 10 roads that either met an “exception” criteria or qualified for reassessment as 40mph zones. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌ These roads are now scheduled for a statutory consultation period in July. ‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌

For exceptions to be made, people must lobby their local elected representatives. This week Cllr David Richardson revealed he had applied for three exemptions in his Connah’s Quay^[10] ward. One, a 400-metre section of Kelsterton Road from the A548 roundabout, was identified as a possible exception. Two other roads – Ffordd Llanarth and Mold^[11] Road - were rejected.

All parties agree that 20mph limits are a good idea near schools, hospitals and on residential estates. However Tom Giffard, Tory MS for South Wales West, identified 20 reasons why 20mph defaults should not be applied elsewhere.

These included widespread public opposition. No fewer than 23 petitions have been launched against the policy, one signed by more than 58,000 people. According to Sam Rowlands, Tory MS for North Wales, 97% of people in Buckley who responded to his survey wanted the 20mph policy ditched.

Joel James, Tory MS for South Wales Central, cited a 2018 Department for Transport study which found that, in areas where speeds had been dropped from 30 to 20mph, drivers’ median speeds "fell by just 0.7mph in residential areas and 0.9mph in city centre areas”. Mr Rowlands said that, in Buckley, the policy is already leading to increased journey times for delivery drivers, domiciliary care workers and retained firefighters.

Mr Waters pledged to make funding available next year so that cash-strapped council can expand the number of 20mph exemptions. By September 17, the set-up across Wales won’t be 100% right, he admitted, adding: “That’s the joy of the default – it can be changed.”

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References

1. ^{^} Buckley (www.dailypost.co.uk)
2. ^{^} Flintshire (www.dailypost.co.uk)
3. ^{^} What happens if you get caught speeding in North Wales' new 20mph zones (www.dailypost.co.uk)
4. ^{^} Labour (www.dailypost.co.uk)
5. ^{^} Buckley (www.dailypost.co.uk)
6. ^{^} Will drivers respect the new 20mph limits? Let us know in the comments below. (www.dailypost.co.uk)
7. ^{^} Flintshire Council (www.dailypost.co.uk)
8. ^{^} Welsh Government (www.dailypost.co.uk)
9. ^{^} Plaid Cymru (www.dailypost.co.uk)
10. ^{^} Connah’s Quay (www.dailypost.co.uk)
11. ^{^} Mold (www.dailypost.co.uk)