A PETITION opposing a change in the speed limit on Wales' residential roads to 20mph is nearing 40,000 signatures.

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

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

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

And that backlash doesn't look set to end any time soon with more and more people signing the petition opposing the change.

The petition was originally set up in March by Adie Drury when the pilot for the Buckley area began.

At that time, Flintshire was one of eight areas across Wales selected for a government trial which reduced speed limits from 30mph to 20mph on residential roads.

As a result, all unclassified roads (30mph) within Buckley, Mynydd Isa, Bryn-y-Baal and New Brighton became 20mph zones.

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

Set up by Adie Drury, it now has 38,8730 signatures (correct at time of writing on Wednesday, July 27) with that number increasing every day.

In a statement on the page, Adie says: "It is causing chaos, people avoiding the area and people having to take new routes. Many of these roads aren't suitable for a 20mph speed limit.

The Leader:

PIC: The plan to change the speed limit on residential roads in Wales to 20mph has certainly caused a stir. 

"There have not been high occurrence rates of road traffic accidents, deaths or injuries on roads in and around Buckley that require a change to our regular 30mph limit on these roads.

"It’s entirely unjustified and was not supported by the community making it a non-democratic change. The community already support the 20mph zones outside schools and other significant areas and would fully support keeping these in place."

Many Flintshire residents, Adie included, have been left frustrated that no consultations were held with members of the public ahead of a final vote on the change.

It is expected however that local authorities will be given the final say on whether or not changing to a 20mph speed limit will be beneficial for roads in their area.

Minister for Climate Change, Julie James said the order is set to come into force on September 17, 2023.

She added: "The evidence shows us that moving to a national 20mph speed limit for restricted roads would make them safer, save lives and encourage more of us to walk and cycle. 

"This is not a blanket 20mph change and we are working with local authorities to identify potential roads that speed limits will be reduced to 20mph and those that should remain at 30mph."

RAC road safety spokesperson Simon Williams said: “Research by the RAC suggests compliance with 20mph speed limits is quite poor with an increasing number of drivers believing the limit is inappropriate for the road. Rather than setting a default 20mph limit on all restricted roads it would be better to target areas where they are most needed – for example on residential roads or in areas where there is high footfall – as opposed to main ‘arterial’ roads where there are few pedestrians.

“However, even if compliance with new 20mph limits is poor, it should lead to an overall reduction in speeds which will have a positive effect on road safety. Better still, would be to enforce existing limits regularly to encourage drivers to slow down and to modify roads to prevent drivers from going too fast in the first place, for example by constructing traffic islands, well-designed speed humps or chicanes.”

You can sign the petition here.