Council open single question online survey to get feedback on 5km of roads exempt from new 20MPH law
Welsh Government have allocated around £800,000 to spend on telling you all about the new 20MPH zones – Wrexham.com appears to be noted in their communications plan as ‘earned’ coverage such as this article, rather than paid promotion for the likes of legacy media or big social media giants. Our questions to Welsh Government on the 21st & 27th July remain unanswered.
Wrexham Council have opened an online survey to gather your thoughts on new 20mph exemptions as the new speed limit implementation is a month away asking ‘Do you have any comments” ?
As we have struggled to get details of the consultation, and had to submit an FOI in an attempt to get copies of the traffic notices, we spoke with the Lead Member Cllr Hugh Jones on the topic.
Welsh Government say Wrexham Council should have been conducting ‘communications and engagement in communities’ around those exemptions to the new law, with a £800k Welsh Government campaign live over the last five months. This does not appear to be happening in Wrexham nor Flintshire. Previously when nothing was emerging we spoke Cllr Jones in this Q&A on the scheme – you can read that here, plus an earlier article where we delve into the paywalled evidence base.
The 20MPH law will be a blanket application, however there are roads that locally will be made exempt, and others where they were perhaps 40mph previously and subject to a local change down to 30mph so they will require special treatment.
In a fresh conversation Cllr Hugh Jones explained, “Effectively, there are two categories of 30 mile an hour speed limits. There is a 30 mile an hour speed limit, which is the national speed limit, in residential areas. Those are changing to 20 as a result of Welsh Government legislation.
“There is a power within the legislation to allow the council to make a limited number of changes to those statutory changes. At the moment we’re proposing 10 exemptions, which will probably cover about 5000 meters of highway. The purpose of that is to allow buffer zones. So in other words, instead of going from 50 to 20mph it now goes 50 30 20mph. Those are effectively national speed limits. We are only advertising those 10 exemptions.
“The second type is where, over the years as a result of local traffic regulation orders, we have changed them from whatever they were previously – probably mainly 40mph zones – they may have been down to 30mph speed limits. Those are local Traffic Orders, we reviewed all of those, and we’re proposing 28 locations where we will reduce those local ones from 30 down to 20.
“There is also potential issues where national speed limit roads carry on into local speed limit roads. What we are trying to avoid is a situation where we get 20mph into a 30mph and then to 20mph again.
“We are consulting on effectively 38 in total, 10 of the exemptions to the national speed limit, and 28 changes to local speed limits where previously there were 30 and we’re bringing them down to 20.”
The consultation was quietly announced by Wrexham Council, and then delays to uploading to the council’s website meant wider information was delayed.
All local councillors in wards that are affected by the changes in the consultation have been ‘advised’.
The policy is Welsh Government’s, and is being enacted on a local level by councils across Wales. Cllr Hugh Jones noted he was ‘not complaining’ but told us that “…they’ve given us the money, and it’s down to us to get on with it. There is no additional support, no additional manpower or resources or anything else. Basically, they’ve funded it and they have left us to get on with it”.
With some criticism of the policy from members of his party in the Senedd, we asked if he was aligned to those views. Cllr Jones replied, “There are areas that are appropriate to be treated by 20mph, there are areas appropriate to be 30mph. I’m not necessarily supportive of blanket 20 mile an hour, I think you will find that there are places where 30 mile an hour is adequate. The problem is that the statistics show in terms of the ability to save lives, and every single life matters, it is a contribution towards road safety. The statistics are undeniable.
“Yes, it’s going to be unpopular in a lot of cases.
“The number of times I drive through Rossett at 20 miles an hour, and people overtake me, people get very angry. But, I would say to them, if your child’s life was at stake, which would you rather? Have your child alive or a 20 or 30 mile an hour speed limit? It makes a huge difference between 30 and 20 on an impact.”
“The statistics are that 20 mile an hour is significantly safer. On that basis. I’m happy to support it.”
Cllr Jones also pointed out that a common complaint from councillors is around speed limits and speeding drivers, “Local members are always bringing up the issue of speeding vehicles in their communities, and asking us to review speed limits. The fact that a lot of areas will now go down to 20 from 30 will probably reduce the number, and the amount of pressure we get from local members.
On the day we spoke with Cllr Jones he had coincidentally been out with a PCSO doing speed checks, “Some people are driving at unreasonable speeds in residential areas. It really does concern me the number of people who are doing that with children and young people around in the streets, particularly in school holiday times and things like that.”
Wrexham Council are paying money to advertise the consultation – at a (Welsh Government) estimated £2500 a notice. Welsh Government are paying near £1m to advertise the new policy.
You can take part in the consultation and view the related documents and notices on https://www.yourvoicewrexham.com/survey/1932.
If you would like to provide the feedback in writing stating the reasons for your views or objections, email [email protected] or by post to The Chief Officer Environment and Technical Department, Wrexham County Borough Council, Abbey Road South, Wrexham Industrial Estate, Wrexham LL13 9PW.
Documents are also open for public inspection at that address during ‘normal office hours’.
More:
Prime Minister: Welsh Government’s blanket 20mph speed limit “not appropriate”
Chief constable admits “grace period needed” ahead of new 20mph speed limit in Wales
Wrexham public will know ‘in a couple of weeks’ which roads will be exempt from ’20MPH switch’
20mph speed limit change: Deputy Minister says “we got it wrong in Buckley”
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