The 93 roads in Flintshire which could return to 30mph

News and Info from Deeside, Flintshire, North Wales

Flintshire Council has been reviewing hundreds of requests from residents to revert certain roads back to a 30mph speed limit, following widespread opposition to the Welsh Government’s default 20mph policy.

The council has gathered over 900 individual comments, as part of a nationwide effort to assess roads for potential changes to their speed limits.

This follows revised guidance issued by the Welsh Government in July, which allows councils to consider increasing speed limits on roads that meet specific safety criteria.

The council has published a list of 93 roads which could change back to 30mph.

Among the roads nominated by residents in Flintshire for a possible return to 30mph are key routes such as the A550 Gladstone Way, Hawarden, Deeside Industrial Park and the A5104 Main Road, Broughton.

The council will now evaluate these requests against the government’s updated criteria, ensuring that any speed limit changes do not negatively impact road safety.

This local review comes as the Welsh Government has faced ongoing pressure over the controversial 20mph speed limit, introduced more than a year ago.

Last week, the Senedd voted 37-14 against a motion from the Conservatives to repeal the policy.

Shadow Transport Secretary Natasha Asghar criticised the government’s stance, pointing to a YouGov poll which found that 70% of the public still oppose the default 20mph limit.

Asghar described the policy as a “blanket” approach and warned that it fails to address public concerns.

“Nearly 470,000 people signed a petition calling for the policy to be scrapped,” she said, calling the public response a “record-breaking outcry.”

However, Transport Secretary Ken Skates, who took on the role earlier this year, has attempted to take a more “pragmatic” approach.

This summer, he spearheaded a National Listening Programme, allowing communities across Wales to voice their opinions.

During a visit to Buckley, Skates listened to local frustrations over the 20mph limit, which residents say has caused confusion and delays.

Despite these efforts, the Senedd rejected the Conservative motion, with members voting to keep the default speed limit in place.

The revised guidance issued in July has now entered its final phase, with councils like Flintshire taking steps to review road-by-road requests for a higher limit.

Flintshire Council is expected to publish the results of its assessment in the coming months.

The council’s website states:

“We will be reviewing all the comments we have received, assessing them against the revised guidance.

“When determining whether a street/road should have a higher speed limit, councils must be certain that any such increase will not have a negative impact on road safety.

“Once we have completed our review, we will publish the results of the assessments on our website in the coming months. Please note that we will not be able to provide individual feedback to every comment we have received.

“Streets/roads where 30mph would not be suitable under the revised guidance will remain at the default speed limit of 20mph.

“For any street/road where the revised guidance suggests a 30mph speed limit could be suitable, the proposal will then be formally advertised in accordance with the statutory consultation procedure for traffic regulation orders (TRO).

“Every TRO will be subject to a public consultation, where residents can show support or raise objections. We will publish details of any changes on our website.

“Following the TRO consultations, final decisions will be made on any changes as part of the council’s normal decision-making processes.

“Further updates will be provided once we have completed our review.”

Full list of nominated roads: