ROADS which have been ear-marked exempt from 20mph will still temporarily reduce to the new limit this September, Flintshire Council has said.

The Welsh Government’s new 20mph legislation will come into force on Sunday, September 17, 2023 from which date most 30mph roads in Wales will become 20mph.

In November 2022 Welsh Government also introduced ‘exceptions criteria’.  The purpose of this was to provide local councils with some flexibility to retain 30mph speed limits, where appropriate, on some restricted roads, providing that the criteria were met.  

To apply an ‘exception’ to a restricted road, local councils must have a clear and reasoned case for doing so, which demonstrates that strong evidence exists that retaining a higher speed limit would be safe. Not all existing 30mph roads will meet this test, although it is likely that stretches along some roads will.  

A formal process of consultation on the proposed changes to the roads listed below opened on July 28, for a Statutory Consultation period of 3 weeks, closing on Friday, August 18.

The following roads have been proposed for exemption in Flintshire:

• A549 Mold Road, Mynydd Isa

• A549 Chester Road / Dirty Mile - Little Mountain, Buckley

• B5127 Liverpool Road, Buckley

• B5128 Church Road, Buckley

• Drury Lane, Buckley

• St Davids Park, Ewloe

• White Farm Road, Buckley

• A541 Hendre

• A541 Denbigh Road, Mold

• A5104 Warren Bank Interchange, Broughton

• A5026 Holway Road, Holywell

• B5121 Greenfield Road, Holywell

• B5129 Kelsterton Road, Connah's Quay

• B5129 Queensferry Roundabout

Although it is possible to formally advertise these proposed changes over the summer, Flintshire Council has said the required Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO’s) cannot be legally implemented until after the September 17 2023 following the introduction of the new legislation.

A Flintshire Council spokesperson said: "Until the statutory consultation process has been completed, it is not possible to say how many of the roads listed above will change to 30mph, but for those that do this means that on September 17 they will default to 20mph and will not be changed to 30mph until the Traffic Regulation Orders have been implemented. 

"How long it will take for the traffic regulation orders to be implemented will depend upon the number of responses received to the statutory consultation and the process of formal consideration and response. 

"After the introduction of the 20mph national legislative change in September, local communities will be able to put forward further roads for consideration for an exemption via the council’s website. More information about how residents can do this will be made available in the autumn."

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An information pack will be available for public inspection at the council’s Connect Centres between 9am and 4.30pm on the days listed below:

• Buckley – Tuesday or Thursday

• Connah’s Quay and Holywell - Monday to Friday

• Mold – Monday, Wednesday or Friday