THE deputy minister for climate change admits that the Welsh Government has 'sought to learn' from the lack of consultation carried out with Buckley residents ahead of the 20mph roll-out.

As of this coming Sunday (September 17), most 30mph speed limits in Wales are changing to 20mph.

This is, according to the Welsh Government, to 'keep our communities safer and improve quality of life'.

In the lead up to the introduction of Welsh Government’s new legislation for 20mph speed limits, eight communities across Wales were selected for the first phase of the national programme. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

As part of this Phase One Settlement Scheme, 20mph speed restrictions were introduced in Buckley, Mynydd Isa, New Brighton, Drury, Burntwood, Bryn y Baal and Alltami on February 28, 2022.

And, although generally in favour of 20mph on residential estates and around schools, hundreds of residents expressed concerns about its introduction on main roads and streets.

The matter was discussed once more during a plenary session held in the Senedd on Tuesday (September 12) - including the situation in Buckley.

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Addressing that, deputy minister for climate change, Lee Waters MS, admitted that more could have been done to consult with residents of the Flintshire town ahead of the pilot scheme last year.

Mr Waters said: "Well, I agree that local highway authorities do need to listen and they do need to consult, and that has been a mixed picture across Wales, I think, if we're fair about it. One of the clear conclusions of the pilot in Buckley in Flintshire was that not enough consultation was done in advance of the changes being brought in, and we have sought to learn from that.

"We had intended a wider and deeper consultation process. I'm afraid that covid did have a real impact on the time available and the ability of local authorities to do this. Now, let's be fair to local authorities. These are small departments, they are working with a range of other pressures.

"It's one of the reasons why we've delayed the introduction of the pavement parking consultation, because it would be the same people involved in doing that change too, and they have done their best in difficult circumstances."

Discussing this weekend's impending roll-out in general, Mr Waters added: "From Sunday, most roads with a 30 mph speed limit in Wales will be changing to 20 mph. This is the biggest step change in community safety for a generation.

"It will save lives, prevent injuries and encourage more people to walk and cycle. It'll make our streets safer for all road users, including car drivers, and improve the quality of life for everyone in our local communities.

"Change is never easy, and as we have got closer to 17 September, and with greater awareness of the speed limit coming into effect, concerns are being surfaced.

Mr Waters continued: "The hardest hitting fact is that if a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle moving at 30 mph, they are around five times more likely to be killed than if they are hit at 20 mph. It’s simple: lower speeds save lives.

"By the time a car travelling at 20 mph has come to a stop, a car travelling at 30 mph will still be doing 24 mph: lower speeds save lives. It’s not just me saying that—those are the exact words of Dr David Hanna, a consultant in paediatric emergency at the University Hospital of Wales.

The Leader: PIC: Wales' deputy Minister for climate change Lee Waters MS.

"It is his job to deal with the consequences of children being hit by cars at 30 mph and more. He has described the devastating life-changing injuries children and young people and their families have to deal with as a result of road traffic collisions, more than half of which occur on roads where the speed limit is currently 30 mph.

"Being struck by a moving car is the biggest cause of serious injury in children. Public Health Wales estimates that we can expect to see a 40 per cent reduction in collisions, six to 10 lives saved every year, and somewhere between 1,200 and 2,000 people annually avoiding injury in Wales once we’ve moved to 20 mph.

"So, as well as reducing human misery, this will also ease pressure on our overstretched emergency services. Casualty prevention savings, which include reducing the need to attend so many road traffic collisions and reducing the flow of injured people needing treatment at A&E is expected to save £92 million in the first year alone, and for every year afterwards.

"Local highway authorities will retain the power to vary the speed limit according to local conditions. It is not a uniform speed limit. It is not a blanket speed limit. It can vary according to local circumstances, as decided by the local highway authority, and that's already happening.

"How is it that in Buckley the speed limit could be changed on roads that didn't work in the trial? That can only happen because it is not a default and local highway authorities have the flexibility to meet local circumstances.

"We've encouraged councils to take a common-sense approach, recognising that the character of some stretches of road suits 30 mph, where people and vehicles don't mix.

"This is the biggest change in road safety in a generation, and despite all the efforts, it's unlikely to be flawless on day one. For example, we know that some councils will have all their signs up on Sunday, and others have decided to take a different approach in sequencing the change.

"It will settle down. And where communities think councils have got some stretches wrong, there'll be an opportunity to reflect and to revisit.

"Now, I know there are concerns that the new speed limit will add significantly to journey times. The early data from the trials shows that the new limit has succeeded in reducing average speed limits without a significant impact on journey times.

"This is because most delays occur at traffic lights and at junctions. I'm sure we've all been overtaken by a car only to meet them again at the next set of lights. At 20 mph there is less breaking and less speeding up. That not only reduces harmful particulates from tyres and breaks, which helps air quality, but also means that the average journey is only about one minute longer."