Introduction of 20mph areas across Buckley
Please be aware this information relates to an old consultation and is therefore now out of date.
For the latest information on 20mph, please click here.
Latest information on 20mph
We are aware of the concerns that have been raised locally in Buckley and the ongoing campaign on social media. The Leader of the Council, Councillor Ian Roberts has been in discussions directly with Lee Waters, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, and we have requested that the Welsh Government undertakes a review of the scheme and exceptions criteria for the main arterial roads and the Welsh Government has agreed to that review.
A study is being undertaken to gather mapping information from across the whole of Wales for the review of the exceptions criteria for 30mph roads and this will continue during the pre-election period. The review of exceptions criteria will take place after May when the result of the study examining are available.
As a local authority, we must work within the legislation for making traffic regulation order (TRO’s) and the guidance that has been issued by the Welsh Government That guidance indicates that only the A549 should be exempt from the 20mph speed limit. Until any review takes place, the 20mph limit will apply and is an enforceable speed limit.
The views expressed in Buckley will be taken into account as part of the review by Welsh Government alongside those of the seven other areas acting as forerunners for this scheme.
Due to the high volume of email traffic received by multiple officers, we will not be responding to individual correspondence on the matter and any further information about the review will be communicated centrally and jointly with the Welsh Government or through the FAQs below.
The 20mph speed limit in Buckley, New Brighton, Mynydd Isa, Bryn Y Baal, Drury, Burntwood and Alltami is aimed to support the development of a proposed national roll out of 20mph speed limits across Wales. Councils across Wales were invited to participate in the rollout of the 20mph speed limit and Buckley (and the surrounding area) was chosen as one of 8 communities in Wales due to the variety of different road types, including residential streets, connector roads within communities, regional arterial routes and those with residential characteristics.
A working group made up of the local town council, elected members and officers was already developing plans for an active travel scheme in the Buckley area and the work of this group was subsequently extended to include the 20mph scheme following confirmation of the Welsh Government funding.
An online informal consultation on the 20mph scheme proposals was held during March and April 2021. Members of the public were invited to view proposed scheme drawings and comment utilising a standard questionnaire.
An extended statutory consultation was undertaken between October and December 2021, for which one formal objection was received.
As is standard practice for the advertisement of all Traffic Regulation Orders, the proposals were advertised on the Flintshire County Council website and in the Flintshire Leader newspaper. Communication was also issued as an update on the Flintshire website during October 2021 with details of the statutory consultation. Having considered formal objections received during the process, the Notice of Making was formally advertised within the Flintshire Leader as well as the Council’s website.
A Traffic Regulation Order or TRO is a legal document that restricts, prohibits or regulates the use of the highway network, in line with The Road Traffic Regulation Act.
A TRO can only be proposed for the reasons permitted within the legislation and are required to be signed and lined accordingly. Typical examples of TRO’s include:
⦁ Speed limits
⦁ On-street parking restrictions
⦁ Weight limits
⦁ One-way streets and banned turns
⦁ Prohibition of Driving
TROs help us to manage the highway network for all road users, including pedestrians and they aim to improve road safety and access to facilities..
Under the new Welsh Government guidance, all 30mph unclassified roads have automatically defaulted to 20mph. 30mph speed limits will be retained on A and B classification roads provided they are not:
1. Within 100m walk of any educational setting (e.g. primary, secondary, further education and higher education);
2. Within 100m walk of any community centre;
3. Within 100m walk of any hospital;
4. Where the number of residential and/or retail premises fronting a road exceeds a defined density (20 properties per km equivalent).
The main arterial roads fulfil the residential and busy pedestrian area criteria for example, include schools, colleges and hospitals, busy shopping areas etc. so that’s why the speed limits are reduced to 20mph. We support the benefits of reducing the speed limit to 20mph including:
⦁ reducing road collisions;
⦁ more opportunities to walk and cycle in our communities;
⦁ helping to improve our health and wellbeing;
⦁ making our streets safer; and
⦁ safeguarding the environment for future generations.
We can only introduce a 30mph restriction on roads that meet the exceptions criteria set by Welsh Government. However Welsh Government as part of the phase 1 settlements review, will continue to draw lessons from Buckley and the other seven settlements to look again at the approach for exceptions and refine the criteria including for main arterial roads, such as Liverpool Road in Buckley.
Welsh Government will evaluate the information collected through public consultation, focus groups and other stakeholder engagement to inform policy decisions. Subject to legislation being passed by the Senedd, 20mph speed limits will be rolled out across Wales.
The 20mph speed limit have been introduced through a permanent Traffic Regulation Order. When Welsh Government review the exceptions criteria as requested by Flintshire County Council for the main arterial roads, we will review the speed limits on these roads.
We have been working closely with North Wales Police to develop an enforcement strategy, which we believe makes our roads safe for all users. We will be trialling enforcement in the first phase, ahead of the proposed national rollout.
Traffic speeds and traffic volumes will be an integral part of the evaluation process. Monitors are also being put in place in some areas to measure and capture data about air quality.
School pupils and parents will also be surveyed to determine if the 20mph has made any difference to their travel to and from school, and their social activities. The data will provide useful research which will be of benefit to other local authorities and possibly influence national decision-making.
We do not believe that a 20mph speed limit will increase the number of vehicles driving on the road, so there is no reason why congestion should increase. Evidence suggests that slower speeds will assist with the free flow movement of traffic.
Lower speeds mean that people feel more comfortable to walk and cycle and it is safer for children to walk to school, while older people also feel more able to travel independently and safely. There is a very large body of evidence from across the world that vehicle speeds are the main reason why people do not walk or cycle or do not allow their children to walk or cycle to school.
There is little evidence to suggest that reducing vehicle speeds to 20mph makes any difference to pollution. It is not as straightforward as more time driving equals more pollution. Driving styles, acceleration, braking, vehicle condition, distance travelled and engine temperature all play a part in the levels of pollutants being produced.
The World Health Organisation states that the most effective way to improve pedestrian safety is to reduce the speed of vehicles. 50% of casualties on our roads in 2018, occurred on 30mph roads. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) states that 45% of pedestrians get killed when struck by a car going at 30mph or less but only 5% when going at 20mph or less.
This won't encourage children to walk or cycle from home. This only protects children near the school where they already have safety in numbers. 80% of child casualties are on non-school trips. Introducing a 20mph speed limit will make children safer from the moment they leave home.
Welsh Government wants to give local authorities further powers to prevent vehicles blocking footways. This is known as pavement parking and it is a criminal offence. You can report pavement parking to the police on the non-emergency number 101.
There is no plan to include traffic calming (including speed bumps) as part of the change to speed limits.
Most modern cars can drive at 20mph without damaging the engine or components. 20mph limits have been used since the early 1990s and there have been no reported gearbox issues. Using too low a gear at any speed may increase wear on gearboxes. Using the right gear and driving at a consistent speed will help prolong engine and gearbox life.
We are monitoring the situation with the bus companies and operators are aware of the new 20mph speed restriction.
These are advisory signs and are usually placed around schools. These are due to be removed following the introduction of the mandatory 20mph speed restriction.
Welsh Government funding has been spent as follows in Buckley:
⦁ Terminal Signs = £8,047.20
⦁ Repeater Signs = £8,248.00
⦁ 76mm Posts = £5,152.00
⦁ 89mm W/B Posts = £5,880.00.
Unfortunately we are unable to respond to every piece of correspondence received due to the amount of time it would take to answer individual queries with the limited resource we have available within Flintshire Council. We can assure you though that every piece of correspondence is read and reviewed and receipt is confirmed. The key themes are captured by the team and are responded to within the FAQs which are updated frequently on the Flintshire Council website.
It is not as straightforward as more time driving equals more pollution. Driving styles, acceleration, braking, vehicle condition, distance travelled and engine temperature all play a part in the levels of pollutants being produced.
Lower speeds do mean that people feel more comfortable to walk and cycle and it is safer for children to walk to school, while older people also feel more able to travel independently and safely. There is a very large body of evidence from across the world that vehicle speeds are the main reason why people do not walk or cycle or do not allow their children to walk or cycle to school.
Reduction in speeds does result in people feeling safer to take part in active travel which then helps to lower pollution.
An online informal consultation on the 20mph scheme proposals was held during March and April 2021. Members of the public were invited to view proposed scheme drawings and comment utilising a standard questionnaire.
An extended statutory consultation was undertaken between October and December 2021, for which one formal objection was received.
As is standard practice for the advertisement of all Traffic Regulation Orders, the proposals were advertised on the Flintshire County Council website and in the Flintshire Leader newspaper. Communication was also issued as an update on the Flintshire website during October 2021 with details of the statutory consultation. Having considered formal objections received during the process, the Notice of Making was formally advertised within the Flintshire Leader as well as the Council’s website.
As part of the Phase 1 trials, all 30mph unclassified roads have automatically defaulted to 20mph.
The A and B classified roads leading into Buckley generally fulfil the residential and busy pedestrian area criteria for example, include schools, colleges and hospitals, busy shopping areas etc. so that’s why the speed limits are reduced to 20mph. We support the benefits of reducing the speed limit to 20mph including:
- reducing road collisions;
- more opportunities to walk and cycle in our communities;
- helping to improve our health and wellbeing;
- making our streets safer; and
- safeguarding the environment for future generations.
We can only introduce a 30mph restriction on roads that meet the exceptions criteria set by Welsh Government. However Welsh Government as part of the phase 1 settlements review, will continue to draw lessons from Buckley and the other seven settlements to look again at the approach for exceptions and refine the criteria including for main arterial roads, such as Liverpool Road in Buckley.
A Traffic Regulation Order or TRO is a legal document that restricts, prohibits or regulates the use of the highway network, in line with The Road Traffic Regulation Act.
A TRO can only be proposed for the reasons permitted within the legislation and are required to be signed and lined accordingly. Typical examples of TRO’s include:
- Speed limits
- On-street parking restrictions
- Weight limits
- One-way streets and banned turns
- Prohibition of Driving
TROs help us to manage the highway network for all road users, including pedestrians and they aim to improve road safety and access to facilities.