Villagers call for speed limit cut ‘before someone is killed’

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

Residents in a rural village fear someone could be killed unless a 60mph speed limit is reduced.

They say vehicles are hurtling through Glasfryn on the stretch of A5 near Cerrigydrudion in Conwy county.

Now residents want the speed limit reduced to 30mph and are calling for the Welsh Government’s Trunk Road Agency to act.

Cllr Gwennol Ellis represents Uwchaled Ward and fears someone could be killed. “Nearly every morning I walk my dogs through the village,” she said.

“Despite high-vis clothing – both humans and canines – a torch, and flashing collars on the dogs, we are constantly having to be incredibly aware of traffic on both sides of the road.

“Wing mirrors from coaches – not the T10 bus – are huge and overhang the pavement. I hate to think what would happen if anyone was struck by a coach wing mirror travelling at 60mph – and a lot faster sometimes.”

National speed limit

Cllr Ellis claims national speed-limit signs were put up on either side of the village one year ago, ‘encouraging’ drivers to put their foot down as opposed to before when the speed limit was more ambiguous.

She added: “Over 12 months ago, out of the blue, two national speed-limit signs were put up at either end of the village, more or less telling people to go 60mph.

“In the past, because there is street lighting, people tended to wonder whether it was a 30 or 40mph and slow down.

“Nobody can understand why there is a 60mph speed limit. There used to be a 30mph speed limit here, and we fit the criteria for having a reduced speed limit, but Welsh Government won’t allow it until a fatality happens.”

Mrs Myfanwy Davies has lived in the village for decades and is the former headteacher of the village school.

“We are the only village on the A5 between Holyhead and Oswestry that hasn’t got a 40mph speed limit – at one time we used to have a 30mph speed limit, and there was much less traffic here,” she said.

“We don’t even have no overtaking, and the speed some of them overtake! The children are very careful, but you never know.”

She added: “There are holiday lets here. The children coming here wouldn’t know, would they?”

North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner

Last week North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin met locals to discuss the issue and walked between the old post office bus stop to the former Ty’n y Felin School.

Mr Dunbobbin said he backed the campaign led by Cllr Ellis.

“I believe it is always important to listen carefully to local residents’ concerns and to understand their real-life experience of how speeding traffic affects them,” he said.

“This is all the more important in rural areas where roads might be quieter, police can be further away, and where road users might be tempted to go faster.”

He added: “I would urge Welsh Government to listen again to the concerns of the residents of Glasfryn and review their decision not to lower the speed limit.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We take road safety very seriously and regularly review police collision data to inform the need for additional measures.

“We are currently revising our guidance on setting local speed limits, and on completion we will undertake a review of speed limits in Wales.”