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On 17 September 2023, all restricted roads changed to 20mph.  

Restricted roads are typically located within residential areas and before 17 September 2023 had a speed limit of 30mph and a system of street lighting (defined as three or more street lighting columns within 183m). 

No.  Only restricted 30mph roads changed to 20mph on 17 September.  Roads with a speed limit higher than 30mph where there are street lights have retained their existing speed limit. 

All councils across Wales had a legal duty to introduce 20mph on all restricted roads on 17 September 2023 using Welsh Government’s criteria which can be found here.

No. Local councils could not legally disregard criteria when applying speed restrictions to local roads.  All speed limits are assessed impartially based on specified national criteria.

Local authorities are responsible for making sure a fair, impartial and objective process is followed when considering objections and/or comments to a TRO.

The procedures for handling objections and comments are set out in the Council’s Constitution and scheme of delegation and are controlled by legal services.

More information on the formal process for creating a TRO from beginning to end can be found here. 

The statutory consultation process does not come down to the number of objections or comments received during the process.  It is the content of the comments received that will determine whether a TRO is implemented or not.

For example, 10 objections received from residents stating that they simply do not like the proposal would not be classified as a valid cause to object, whereas one objection providing evidence that the proposal does not meet the criteria, or evidence that the proposal could have a negative impact on individuals and/or the wider public, could potentially be classified as a valid objection.

Local communities can put forward further roads for consideration for an exception via the Council’s website.

Before any road can be returned to 30mph, it must firstly be formally advertised via the statutory consultation procedure for Traffic Regulation Orders. Refer to question No. 12 for details of the process. 

There is no deadline for the submission of 30mph requests. 

To create a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) a formal statutory process must be followed.   TROs are written legal documents to which objections, or comments of support, must be received in writing to the address specified, on or before the specified closing date.

Following the closing date objections or comments of support are then subject to a formal statutory process, which dependent upon the number of responses received and/or their complexity, can time some time to complete.  

The formal process for the creation of a TRO from beginning to end comprises: 

• A Notice of Proposal to be placed in the local press for a statutory minimum period of 21 days for which formal objections may be lodged against the proposals.  A Notice of Proposal is also placed on site, and an information pack is available online and in the relevant Connects Centre, for public inspection. 
• Any objections (or comments of support) that are received during this time will then be considered impartially by the Authority, for which a Delegation Report will be completed outlining the Authority’s decision as to whether to overrule of uphold individual objections received.  This report must then pass through the required governance processes.
• A Final Order and Notice of Making is completed.  A Notice of Making is placed on site, and an information pack is available online and in the relevant Connects Centre, for public inspection. 
• The Order is sealed by the Legal Department.  
• Within 14 days of the Order being sealed by FCC legal department a full written response will be provided to the Objectors or respondents in support of the Order. 
• Following completion of the steps above, works will commence on site.

Until the statutory consultation process has been completed, it is not possible to say how which roads suggested will change to 30mph, but for those that do this means that on 17th September they will default to 20mph and will not be changed to 30mph until the Traffic Regulation Orders have been implemented. 

There are no carriageway roundels or 20mph repeater signs on restricted roads following the introduction of the new legislation in September 2023. There will however be a requirement for repeater signage in 30mph locations.

As with previous 30mph limits on restricted roads, repeater signs are not required given the presence of street lighting columns. There are new 20mph signs at each end of the speed restriction area where required. The streetlights along the length of road between these signs will be the reminder that you are in a 20mph area.

Illuminated flashing 30mph roundels that were triggered when vehicles exceed 30mph are called vehicle-activated signs.    Used as traffic calming devices, these have been implemented in many locations across Flintshire to reinforce speed limits.    Most of these signs are manufactured to only display one maximum speed limit and so these were decommissioned before 17 September.  Given that town / community councils have funded some of these signs, we intend to replace historical flashing 30mph roundels with programmable variable message signs, but this is likely to take place in 2024 where funding allows.

Welsh Government has not indicated whether future funding will be available to provide vehicle actuated speed signs at new locations, but such measures will continue be considered as part of local safety schemes.

20mph advisory speed limit signs outside schools - those with a red “20” in the centre of a black circle - were removed in summer 2023.  These advisory speed limits around schools have now been replaced by Welsh Government’s new statutory 20mph legislation. 

20mph zone signs, with a 20 roundel and “PARTH/ZONE” wording, have also been removed.  

Many local communities will have traffic calming measures, such as speed humps, yellow-backed speed limit signs and red carriageway patches, which were introduced using previous guidance. Physical traffic calming measures, such as chicanes, humps and cushions, are no longer required by legislation to self-enforce 20mph speed limits and will only be considered as part of future local safety schemes. Yellow-backed 30mph signs will have been replaced by 20mph signs without yellow backing boards and red patches will not be maintained or refreshed once worn.

Existing traffic calming measures will have been introduced in certain areas to improve road safety.  The introduction of 20mph speed limits has not automatically removed the need for existing traffic calming schemes, however, as with all safety schemes, their effectiveness will be continually reviewed. 

Physical traffic calming measures, such as chicanes, humps and cushions, are no longer required by legislation to self-enforce 20mph speed limits.  The Council will consider future requests as part of local safety schemes, but as with the introduction of any safety scheme, their potential effectiveness will be fully assessed prior to any decisions being made to introduce them. 

All previous and future costs associated with the implementation of 20mph across Wales will be met by Welsh Government by means of a grant to local councils.