Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has spoken of her delight that the Welsh Government are finally acting on her request for guidance on setting speed limits in Wales to be changed.
Since holding a public meeting in Tal-y-Bont, Conwy, to discuss concerns about local road infrastructure, in 2019, the Member has pushed for local changes, published two reports, and been pursuing major change to Welsh Government policy which is seeing areas left waiting for accidents to happen before necessary speed limit changes are provided.
The Member originally secured a commitment from the First Minister that the guidance – Setting Local Speed Limits in Wales – would be reviewed from the Summer of 2020 onwards. She has now been informed by Lee Waters MS, Deputy Minister for Climate Change that “The Welsh Government is currently updating the Setting Local Speed Limits in Wales guidance”.
Commenting on the progress being made, Janet said:
“For years I have been lobbying the Welsh Government to change its guidance which continues to prevent local authorities from taking positive and pre-emptive action to address speed and other road traffic concerns along public highways.
“A key example of Welsh Government guidance puncturing plans for positive speed limit reductions is the fact that Conwy County Borough Council is currently unable to implement a reduction along the B5106 between Dolgarrog and Trefriw because of the national guidance.
“Across Aberconwy we have rural lanes with life threatening 60mph limits. I am pleased that the First Minister has acknowledged my report that emphasis is being placed on the number of accidents instead of risk and near misses. Time will tell if the amended guidance enables local authorities to implement speed reductions in Wales based on risk”.
ENDS
Document:
Letter to the First Minister
Response from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change
Photo:
Janet Finch-Saunders MS at the public meeting she held in Tal-y-Bont in 2019
