Twenty’s Plenty: Council updates on 20mph speed limit plans for residential streets in Flintshire

A month-long statutory consultation period has got underway on proposals to impose a 20mph speed limit on hundreds of roads in Flintshire.

The area is one of eight across Wales where a reduction from 30mph to 20mph will be introduced on some residential roads as part of a Welsh Government trial.

Ministers want to introduce a national default 20mph speed limit for residential restricted roads in Wales by August 2023.

The local authority was successful in obtaining funding to implement mandatory 20mph limits “across the inventory of residential roads” within Buckley, Mynydd Isa, Drury, New Brighton, Bryn Y Baal, Burntwood, and Alltami.

The council said: “The implementation of a 20mph limit would bring considerable benefits of improving road safety within the wider residential area. ”

“In 2018, 50% of all highway casualties in Wales occurred on 30mph roads.”

“In addition the scheme will also act as an ‘enabler’ to both facilitate and complement the implementation of key Active Travel infrastructure, making it safer to walk and cycle within local residential areas.”

In the update, Flintshire County Council said the 20mph speed limit in those residential are “now progressing to the next stage.”

“We have recently been working with Welsh Government to develop a process that ensures the legality of making the traffic regulation orders for Flintshire.”

“The proposed 20mph project in Buckley, New Brighton and Mynydd Isa is aimed at supporting the development of a national rollout of 20mph speed limits across Wales.”

“Following a detailed consultation process, it is proposed that all unclassified roads (30mph) within the scheme extents will be reduced to 20mph with the exception of the A549 between Wylfa Roundabout and Dirty Mile, Dobshill.”

“However, if the national rollout begins in 2023 as proposed, the legislation and associated process will mean that this will also become 20mph.”

The next steps will be to install the monitoring equipment at various locations around the area which will enable the council to “collect baseline data as well as progressing the required Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO’s) and statutory consultation.”

The TROs are being advertised for a statutory consultation period of 4 weeks beganing on Friday, 15 October.

A notice which can be seen below and on the council website (here) can also be inspected at Flintshire Connects in Buckley library.

“Over the coming weeks, the council will be working closely with North Wales Police to finalise plans for enforcement activity which will be undertaken in line with the project enforcement strategy.”

“As a matter of course, discussions will also be held with all emergency services to share the mapping and proposals.”

“We’d like to thank everyone for their continued support over the course of this year as the co-operation and commitment of the local residents is crucial to the success of the 20mph project.”

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