Flintshire opens door for public to propose roads which could be reverted back to 30mph

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales

This article is old - Published: Wednesday, Nov 22nd, 2023

From today, residents of Flintshire have the opportunity to propose roads for an exception to the default 20mph speed limit.

Wales became the first nation in the UK to roll out a default 20mph speed limit for residential roads.

This new limit came into force on all “restricted” roads on Sunday, 17th September.

The move has seen a massive backlash in Wales, with a petition calling for the new limit to be revoked and for roads to return to 30mph having gathered nearly half a million signatures.

Twelve roads in Flintshire are now in the process of reverting back to 30mph, following a consultation during the summer.

Flintshire Council said it has taken a ‘phased approach’ to assessing restricted roads in the county, which initially involved local county councillors nominating roads for assessment.

“Residents will continue to be updated and have opportunities to identify roads which may be considered as exceptions to 20mph, in a phased way,” Flintshire Council has confirmed.

Phase 2, which begins today, will give residents the opportunity to propose roads for an exception.

As outlined in the Welsh Government guidance, not all roads will meet the criteria for applying an exemption, and when considering the application of exceptions, local authorities are required to demonstrate that ‘strong evidence’ exists that higher speeds are safe and need to demonstrate a clear and reasoned case.

Exceptions to the 20mph limit are mostly expected on A and B classified roads, which are main arterial routes.

In contrast, C classification and unclassified roads, which serve mostly local traffic and residential areas, are typically not considered suitable for exceptions.

Flintshire Council says it continues to work with the Welsh Government to assess the impact of the new default 20mph speed limit and “ensure that a consistent approach to exceptions across Wales is taken.”

“We welcome the Welsh Government’s recent announcement to work collaboratively with local highway authorities to reflect on the application of the guidance in different parts of Wales.”

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Streetscene and Regional Transport Strategy, Councillor Dave Hughes, said: “We have received feedback from a number of residents on the 20mph speed limits, both positive and negative, and we will, as always, consider feedback in our wider and ongoing work to review exception requests and the impacts of the new default 20mph speed limits.”