Consultation could see 52 roads revert to 30mph

Alec Doyle Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to return 52 roads in a Welsh county from 20mph back to 30mph will be put before the council’s Executive Board this afternoon.

Wrexham Council lead members will consider the results of a consultation which was overwhelmingly in favour of ending the 20mph policy, with 93% of respondents in favour of returning the speed limits to 30mph.

If the list is approved, officers will then begin planning the changes, with a multi-channel public information campaign to ensure all residents know about the changes and to phase them in safely.

The Welsh Government effectively set a standard default 20mph speed limit on restricted roads – those in residential or built up areas – in April last year when it introduced the policy.

Backlash

But there was a huge national backlash with more than half a million people signing a petition to reverse the changes amid outcry that the Welsh Government had not carried out a meaningful consultation with communities over the changes.

Now local authorities across Wales are consulting residents on reversing the speed limit changes, but are having to consider the risks of increasing speeds on roads for the first time.

“Whenever we have considered road speeds, it has always been to reduce them,” said Wrexham’s deputy leader, Cllr Dave Bithell. “We have never increased speeds as a council.

“That’s why we have taken a really robust approach to this. We extended the consultation to the end of January to ensure everyone had their say.

“There are views on both sides but overwhelmingly it seems people welcome returning the roads to 30mph.

“It is a positive step in addressing an issue that’s not been caused by us but that we have had to pick up.

“There are a number of risks in increasing road speeds that we need to consider carefully. The most important one is the safety of drivers and pedestrians.

“Increasing speed increases the risk of harm if there is an accident so we need to get this right.”

“Life and death”

Not everyone has welcomed the move, however.

Following the result of the consultation last week, 20mph lobby group 20s Plenty For Us wrote on X: “Is that really a difficult decision? Saving children from death and injury or appeasing a few motorists.

“There are serious matters of life and death to be considered.”