A NORTH Wales MS has slammed the Welsh Government for 'not supporting' local views over the 20mph speed limit change set for Wales' residential roads.

On Tuesday, July 12, Senedd members voted 39 to 15 to approve the Welsh Government's bid to roll out the law on all residential roads.

That means Wales is set to become the first country in the UK to introduce a default 20mph limit as of September 2023.

A petition against changing the speed limit on Wales' residential roads to 20mph is currently sitting at 44,072 signatures.

Sam Rowlands MS is backing that campaign to try and reverse plans to introduce the 20mph speed limit.

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The plans have faced great opposition, particularly after it was first piloted in the Buckley area earlier this year.

That sparked backlash from residents who claimed it was doing 'more harm than good' and the petition was born.

Mr Rowlands, who recently supported campaigners in Buckley, fighting against this introduction, said it was about time Welsh Government started listening to local people.

He said: “It really is quite alarming to see the Welsh Government riding roughshod over people’s views and not taking any of their concerns into account.

“In the email I received it stated that over 50% responding to the consultation on the 20mph limit last year were not in favour of the proposal yet Welsh Government ignored this and rejected the result.

The Leader:

PIC: Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales with residents campaigning to stop plans for 20mph speed limit in Buckley.

“I feel so sorry for the people of Buckley who are having to cope with this 20mph limit and next year many more of our towns will suffer the same fate.

“I do support letting councils put 20mph speed limits outside schools, hospitals and other areas where evidence shows it’s a benefit, but not a blanket 20mph speed limit across urban roads in Wales.

“It is about time Welsh Government started listening to local people instead of making undemocratic decisions. Meanwhile, I urge all authorities to take the same stance as Monmouth Council and listen to the locals and make the decisions which affect their residents”

The new default speed limit to 20mph, which is due to be implemented in September 2023, will affect 30mph roads with street lights fewer 200 yards apart but this can be overturned by local authorities.

In response, A Welsh Government spokesperson said: "A Wales 20mph public attitudes survey showed 81% of people interviewed supported a reduction in the speed limit to 20mph.

“The new legislation will not apply a blanket speed limit on all roads, it will simply make the default limit 20mph. Ultimately, it will be down to Local Authorities to decide which roads should retain the 30mph limit in consultation with their residents.

"Together, we are drawing lessons from pilot settlements to look again at the criteria used to keep some roads at 30mph.”