County council reviews 20mph speed limits based on feedback

A council has conducted a comprehensive review of the 20mph speed limits across a county, following a call from the Welsh Government to gather residents’ feedback, and provision of new ’30mph exception’ guidance in 2024.

During the ‘listening phase’ from May to September 2024, Ceredigion County Council received 62 individual comments, of these 23 expressed support for the new 20mph limits, 20 expressed desires for a change to the national policy, 16 objected to existing 20mph limits on county roads, eight referred directly to Welsh Government-managed Trunk Road locations, over which the Council has no jurisdiction, and 3 were deemed out of scope.

Ceredigion County Council reviewed 34 sections of road closely in line with the revised guidance from the Welsh Government, which strongly emphasises providing a safer environment for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.

Exceptions

All of the locations included in the review have been reassessed against the Welsh Government’s 30mph exceptions guidance, which includes the following key criteria for 20mph limits:

· Educational settings (within 100m): Schools; Pre-school groups; Further education; Higher education;
· Community facility (within 100m): community halls; playing fields, sports facilities and children’s playgrounds;
· Medical facility (within 100m): Hospitals, GP/doctors surgeries, day care centres;
· Residential and/or retail premises immediately (consider distance from the road, visibility, road geometry, other accesses) fronting the road exceeds 20 per km on both sides of the road.

The guidance stated that if any of the above criteria are met, a 20mph limit is appropriate.

Outcome

The outcome of the review is that no further changes were identified, and the 20mph limits introduced on County Roads within Ceredigion in 2023 should remain.

Councillor Shelley Childs, Ceredigion’s Cabinet Member responsible for Highways and Environmental, said: “The review was an opportunity to assess how closely the guidance from the Welsh Government was applied on county roads in Ceredigion.

“Collision data recently released by the police and the Welsh Government suggests that the national change to the speed limit does seem to be reducing casualties on roads across Wales, and correspondence received during the review process suggests that the new 20mph limits are welcomed by many in the county.

“Although, the Council’s review did not include any speed limit arrangements on the A487 and A44 Trunk Roads in Ceredigion since those are the direct responsibility of the Welsh Government.”