Speed limit changes set for Flintshire accident blackspots

Speed limit changes are set to be rolled out at a number of accident blackspots in Flintshire.

It comes as Flintshire Council has reviewed several requests to reduce speed limits on problem roads across the county based on Department for Transport guidelines.

It includes the A5104 Corwen Road through Treuddyn and A5119 Northop Road in Flint Mountain, where drivers have been involved in a total of 14 crashes.

Subject to consultation, a 40mph buffer zone will also be introduced along the B5126 Mold Road to Connah’s Quay after five collisions took place along that route.

The proposed changes have been welcomed by community leaders, including Connah’s Quay south councillor Ian Dunbar, who has also successfully campaigned for the speed limit to be reduced on the B5126 near Broad Oak Cottages.

He said: “The people are pleased now that it’s been accepted to go down to 40mph.

“It’s a very narrow road, there’s no footpath for them and there’s been a few accidents there.

“We’ve also had a few near misses, so what they’ve asked of me as ward member is if there’s any chance we can get it reduced.

“I’ve had a lot of help from the people who live in the bungalows, in fact one of them even has a board with ‘kill your speed’ facing both ways in his yard because they still speed there.”

Meanwhile, there has also been a longstanding community campaign to reduce the speed on the A5104.

A recommendation has now been put forward to change it from a national speed limit area by extending two 40mph and 50mph zones to meet by the junction near the former Sunspot Cafe.

The 15 proposed new speed limits are expected to be advertised to the public in November, except for the A5119, which will be advertised this month.

On Wednesday environment scrutiny committee members will also be asked to back an amended legal process to ensure that speed limits in the county are appropriate.

Cllr Carolyn Thomas, cabinet member for streetscene and countryside, said:

“Inaccuracies existed within some of the current speed limit orders due to changes to features of the highway network which were used to locate the start and end of some of the original orders.

“In moving towards a single consolidated speed limit order we can simplify a previously over complicated process and make more effective use of resources to address the current inaccuracies.”

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter.