Labour to U-turn on 20mph speed limit in Wales after harsh criticism

Welsh Labour has U-turned on its decision to implement blanket 20mph speed limits in Wales, after a petition against the controversial policy gained almost half a million signatures.

In an interview with North Wales Live, Welsh Transport Secretary, Ken Skates, said that 20mph speed limits should remain in place in “appropriate” areas, such as near schools, nurseries and hospitals. However, he admitted that, “in many areas, routes that shouldn't have been included, were.”

New guidance, set to be announced on Tuesday, will give local authorities the power to decide for themselves whether to implement 20mph speed limits, with Skates suggesting that he foresees “relatively few changes” in some areas of the country, with “quite a lot more” in others.

“We've put our hands up to say 'the guidance has to be corrected'.” He said, “this will enable councils to revert back those routes that are not appropriate. Whether the change will be radical will largely depend on what people want.”

The Welsh government voted for a nation-wide 20mph default speed limit all the way back in 2022, although implementation only began from September 2023, at a cost of £34 million. Many areas have already installed the necessary signage, however, Skates reassured councils and constituents that he wants to resolve the issue “as soon as we can”, and that the cost to revert signage back to 30mph would be covered by the Welsh government.

Since its inception, Wales’ 20mph speed limit rule has been a controversial one; while there has been some support – namely from some local communities and groups representing cyclists – towards the end of last year, UK PM Rishi Sunak revealed the Conservative Party’s ‘Plan for Drivers’, which promises guidance designed to prevent the implementation of blanket 20mph speed limits by local councils.

Skates iterated that he wants the new guidance in Wales to put the decisions back into the hands of the public, saying: “I don't want to impose the changes, I want people to identify those routes to change so that at the end of the day we have a policy a vast majority of people can support, which not just makes roads safer but makes people feel safer on them as well.”

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