Wrexham Council awaits Welsh Government guidance on 20MPH changes and welcomes community input

Wrexham Council are waiting to hear from Welsh Government for guidance on how any possible to changes to 20MPH will take place.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport Ken Skates announced local residents will be encouraged to contact Wrexham Council “to tell them where they think 20mph should be targeted”.

Wrexham Councillor David A Bithell Deputy Leader with responsibilities for strategic transport, said, “Further to the decision made by the cabinet secretary on reviewing 20 mph zones.

“Wrexham Council welcome the change in direction but we are awaiting the guidance from Welsh Government, this is expected in June.

“I would like to be clear that not every road will revert back to 30 mph. Wrexham Council support 20 mph outside schools and completed this programme prior to the change made by Welsh Government, we have no intention of reversing this decision.

“We are also very mindful of the costs to make the necessary changes and unless supported by Welsh Government we would have to consider our financial expenditure very carefully as there is no budget for these works.

“We will be working with communities and elected members when the new guidance is issued and welcome feedback.”

Welsh Government have already made it clear that they will be covering costs of any reversion, which appears to include the cost of signage, road works and pricey back-of-newspaper written notices required by Welsh Government law that could appear in widely circulated publications such as the Gwent Gazette which is now down to just 279 (!) copies.

Reacting to Tuesday’s statement by Ken Skates MS, Leader of Wrexham Council, Cllr Mark Pritchard said: “I would like to thank the minister for North Wales on his common sense approach on this matter. “At last common sense has prevailed, and I look forward to working with the minister on this matter.”

(Top pic: 30MPH signs scrapped in Wrexham, it is unclear if they were kept)