Tory MS submits list of roads to be exempt from 20mph speed limit his constituency
Emily Price
A Tory MS has submitted a list of possible roads in his constituency that he feels should be considered for exemption from Wales’ 20mph default speed limit.
On Thursday (November 30) Senedd Member for the Vale of Clwyd, Gareth Davies published a letter which he has written to Denbighshire County Council’s Traffic, Parking and Road Safety Manager.
In the correspondence, the Conservative MS refers to a previous meeting with the council alongside his fellow party member and north Wales MS, Mark Isherwood.
He explains he has received “extensive queries from constituents” on the matter of the new road regulation which came into force on September 17 this year.
It saw most roads in Wales that were 30mph switch to 20mph – although councils have discretion to impose exemptions.
The Welsh Government has provided guidance for councils to follow when deciding which routes should remain at 30mph.
Some local authorities have been criticised since the speed limit roll out for not consulting properly on which roads should “opt out” of the new default speed limit.
This is thought to be because department resources are overstretched.
Fears have been raised among some councils that if a road were to be changed back to 30mph and there is a death on that road – a council could be legally liable.
However some councils have been fairly bullish with their approach to road exceptions and have chosen to keep all main roads at 30mph.
Review
In the letter sent to Denbighshire County Council, Mr Davies wrote: “Firstly, I am aware that many constituents accept a 20mph speed outside schools, hospitals and community resources.
“Further to the present 5 exception routes many members of the public are concerned that a review is needed by the local authority to access the potential to remove the 20mph maximum speed on several other key commute routes”.
In the letter, Mr Davies provided a list of 17 roads that he felt should have their 20mph speed limit reviewed.
The controversial new default speed limit has so far been met with fierce opposition in Wales and a petition calling for it to be reversed has reached over 466,000 signatures – the most in Senedd history.
The Welsh Conservatives have heavily opposed the change due to its cost and the party has promised voters that if they were ever in power in Wales, they would axe it.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Davies said: “I’ve submitted a list of possible roads in Vale of Clwyd to be considered for exemption from the Welsh Government’s Blanket 20mph policy.
“I hope these suggestions are looked at seriously as they’re based on feedback from local people who remain up in arms.”
The Welsh Government has said that cutting the limit from 30mph to 20mph will protect lives and save the NHS in Wales £92m a year.
A review will be undertaken in 2024 to look at the current guidance for local authorities and decide whether the flexibility is enough for councils.
A Denbighshire County Council spokesperson said: “We have noted and received the seventeen suggested exceptions put forward.
“In the new calendar year, we plan to review the potential for further exceptions to the default 20 mph speed limit and will consider these suggested exceptions as part of that review.”
List
The roads included in the list (excluding tracks leading to immediately outside schools and community resources) are below.
- A525 Rhuddlan Rosd and Vale Road, Rhyl
- A525 Rhy Road via Clwyd Retail Park
- Ford Derwen, Rhyl
- East Parade, Rhyl
- A548 Russell Road, Rhyl
- A5151 Rhuddlan
- A547 Rhuddlan via Ffordd Porthwy
- Victoria Road, Prestatyn
- A547 Meliden Road and Gronant Road, Prestatyn
- Ffordeisa and Flordd Fynnon, Prestatyn
- A525 Junction to A55, The Roe, St Asap
- Upper Denbigh Road, St Asaph
- Ruthin Road, Denbigh
- A543 Rhyl Road, Denbigh
- A525 via Denbigh Green
- A525 Trefnant
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Now here we have two Tories making a case to a council over exemptions to the 20mph speed limit on some roads and in doing so, recognise the reality of the situation. They are getting with the programme and will obviously be enraging RT blanket as their mature actions are exposing his irrational sensationalist screamings for what they are. He’ll be livid. In the list of roads here is East Parade in Rhyl which becomes Marine Drive. No schools or hospitals (although the Royal Alexandra Hospital is on a turning off it), houses on one side, sea front on the… Read more »
So a Tory MS has submitted a list of possible roads in his constituency that he feels should be considered for exemption from Wales’ 20mph default speed limit to his local authority. Thereby, giving the lie to his party leader insisting that it’s a “blanket” 20mph.
It is a blanket! A stupid one at that. Unbelievable that Labour won’t listen to half a million people. They based this on a survey 6 thousand. Discusting. Another waste of tax payers money
It’s not a blanket at all. Evidence: The fact that people have been driving on the roads since this was introduced.
About 7 million people signed the rescind Brexit petition. Around 10 million people marched in various protests to rescind Brexit, and your lot said “But 17.4 million people is more than 10 million. Suck it up snowflakes”
Half a million people (half of whom aren’t even living in Wales and half of what remains are from fake accounts) is less than three million. Suck it up snowflake
Even if all those who signed that petition were from Wales it would still only represent just over a fifth of Welsh electors, which would still make it very much a minority who oppose the new default speed limit in built up areas.
By the definition of the adjective “blanket” in the English language meaning all, 100%, there is no blanket 20mph speed limit. There are already over 1,500 roads where exemptions to the 20mph limit have been made and many more to come, as this article acknowledges. An example of a “blanket” ban is the smoking ban on pubs in Wales, where there are NO exemptions to the law as it is a “blanket” ban on smoking in pubs.
You have either not bothered to find out what the new 20 mph law is, and how it operates, or you are just repatriating ” parrot fashion ” what the Tory party here have been spouting. There is no “blanket” 20 mph law, as recognised by the two Tory MS in the article above.
We vote people into power at an election and they enact the manifesto, at least try to. A dubious on line petition is not governance. They will discuss this, as per the web site that states it.
WAGs own words – “see streetlights think 20mph” “the default speed limit is 20mph”. It’s a blanket speed limit.
It’s not a blanket limit.
There are streetlights on many 30, 40 and 50mph roads near me.
Should I be travelling 20mph on those?
Roads that highways experts believe 30mph to be candidates for exemption based on road design formulae?
Or just what some Tory MS “feels”
It’s a Tory, you know it’s their arrogant opinion only. Unless money in it for them
At last! A Tory makes a ( generally) sensible suggestion! Not like Andrew RT ‘Blanket’ Davies, but actually lists where the COUNTY council could make a change. Several are quite sensible, though others are optimistic to say the least
Has Gareth Davies slipped the sensible pill, he will be in trouble!
Must be sunspot activity or something as the Tories in the Senedd seem to be coming up with sensible ideas today. Not only have we got Gareth Davies making sane suggestions as to which roads could be exempted, but also Chris Haines suggesting better access to outdoor education opportunities!
ARTD must be apoplectic!
He’ll be ok. Natasha has seen to that with her “sell the airport” outburst.
The Green Man festival site also needs selling, another waste of money when we need basic things
Its time Mr Drakeford went, he’s not living in the real world!
And fix the broken ticket machine in the car park next to Wilco’s, and bring back Woolworth, and free school milk, and fix the railways, and !!!!!!!!😀
Reopen the mines, both coal and slate!
Shut the pubs on Sundays!
Mandatory Chapel for all!
A useful contribution and our opinions are needed but this goes against Gareths chum the local MP James Davies view….expressed in a party leaflet hitting our door steps.
Janet U Turn Finch Saunders in our next door patch may find it’s time for another 360 degree shift ?
I am sure that a responsible person in public office he will have realised that this requires evidence that a higher speed than 20mph is appropriate and safe for any current or potential vulnerable road users, including estimates of the cost for providing any infrastructure to make them safe. However, looking at the casualty history for some of those roads would seem to show that he has no such evidence other than it being a minor inconvenience to drive at 20mph through communities.