Deputy Minister for Climate Change, : On Tuesday, along with the Minister for Climate
Change, I met with leaders, cabinet members and transport
officers from across Wales to discuss the implementation of 20mph
in their areas.
This was an opportunity to reflect on the nationwide roll-out,
share good practice, and explore opportunities for collaboration.
I also placed on record my heartfelt thanks to our partners in
local government for their continued support.
They have dealt with a colossal task: the culmination of years of
debate and discussion, extensive trials, and many months of
intensive preparatory work ahead of the Wales-wide launch on 17
September.
This is an important change, and it will take some time to bed
in.
That is partly a logistical challenge. Changing road signs at
this pace and scale is an unprecedented undertaking and that has
been compounded by the totally unacceptable vandalism of signs we
have seen in some places.
This action will not lead to a change in the policy and the
default speed limit but is a waste of scarce resources and
officer time when councils are contending with a range of
different pressures.
Despite calls from some, the message from highway authorities in
Wales has been very clear – we want to allow time for the new
speeds to settle before making changes to the exceptions
guidance.
We will respect that feedback and have agreed to work
collaboratively with local highway authorities to reflect on the
application of the guidance in different parts of Wales. We will
also look at the approach taken to roads on the threshold between
20mph and 30mph, as well as supporting councils where they are
keen to rapidly address obvious anomalies.
This work, and our wider dialogue with local
authorities on the implementation of 20mph, will help establish
whether clarifications are needed to encourage greater
consistency across Wales, and we will aim to share learnings and
feedback by the end of the year.
I’m also grateful for the continued support of - and the expert panel he leads
- for their offer to provide advice and support directly to local
authorities, over this post-implementation period.
Finally, we have agreed to be flexible with the funding available
to councils this financial year, and the next, so that they have
the resources they need to continue supporting the delivery of
this important change.
