County set to change speed limits after council review

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

The speed limit looks set to change on 10 roads in a Welsh county following a council review.

Vale of Glamorgan Council has put forward four roads that could move from 20mph to 30mph and three roads that could move from 30mph to 20mph following a review in line with new Welsh Government guidance.

Consideration is also being given to variable 20mph restrictions on three roads near schools.

Traffic regulation orders

The full details of the proposed changes will shortly be set out in traffic regulation orders (TROs) and a public consultation will be launched as part of that process.

Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet member for neighbourhood services, Cllr Mark Wilson, said: “There has been much discussion in the Vale about the appropriate speed limit for many of our roads and a considerable number of responses were received to the Welsh Government’s call for representations last year.

“Our public highways are shared spaces for all road users and so we have tried to take into account the views of all respondents.

“However, ultimately, we can only act within the guidelines set out for us.

“Our team has used the criteria in the latest Welsh Government guidance to review 20mph limits on all roads requested for review.

“We have identified a shortlist of roads which are considered suitable for a change to the speed limit and will shortly publish traffic regulation orders to set out the full details of the proposed changes which will include a public consultation period.

“This will give all residents a further opportunity to have their say and provide comments or object to any of the proposals before any final decisions are taken.”

The proposed changes for the Vale of Glamorgan are as follows:

Roads that could move from 20mph to 30mph are Pentir Y De, Rhoose; part of Llantwit Major Road; part of Cardiff Road (Primrose Hill) in Cowbridge; and a section of Hayes Road in Sully
Roads that could move from 30mph to 20mph are Leckwith Road, Llandough; Main Road, Ogmore-By-Sea; and part of Lavernock Road in Penarth
The roads being considered for variable 20mph restrictions at school drop-off and collection times are Aberthin Road in the vicinity of Cowbridge Comprehensive School, Ruthin Road in the vicinity of Llangan Primary School, and a section of the A48 close to St Nicholas Church in Wales Primary School
The new 20mph default speed limit in built up areas was rolled out across Wales in 2023 with the aim of increasing road safety and improving air quality.

However the move proved to be incredibly controversial with 469,000 people signing a Senedd petition opposing it.

While early evidence suggested it was having a positive impact on the number of serious casualties on the road some people said it was having a negative impact on journey times and public transport.

Revised guidance

Nearly a year after the rollout the Welsh Government brought in revised guidance on 20mph speed limits and residents were encouraged to contact their councils with feedback on the recent changes.

Vale of Glamorgan Council said it received 228 representations which included requests to revert speed limits to 30mph, reduce other roads to 20mph, and to make no changes.

The proposed changes put forward by the council follow suggestions made by members and led to the reassessment of 103 roads across the Vale.

Speed limits on roads other than the 10 that have been put forward are proposed to remain the same.