News

Ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for the Armed Forces, Ken Skates, has welcomed news of an additional £3.5m of funding by the UK Government for the Reducing Veterans Homelessness programme.

The Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates has welcomed Flintshire County Council becoming the first Local Authority to announce the start of the statutory process on roads where changes to the 20mph speed limit may take place.

Excellent progress has been made on works to restore the Menai Suspension Bridge. Following the replacement of all 168 hangers on the bridge it has been confirmed that phase one of the programme will be completed on schedule. The bridge will reopen on Saturday 2 November [00:01hrs].

The planned roadworks on the A470 at Talerddig which are due to begin on 31 October will be paused until the New Year.

The latest police recorded road collision stats from April – June 2024 show that both collisions (24%) and casualties (24%) on 20mph and 30mph roads (combined) have fallen by almost a quarter compared to the same period of 2023 - the lowest recorded outside of the pandemic.

Motorists are advised to plan ahead before they travel as major road works  are set to begin on the A470 between Talerddig and Dolfach with a total closure of the road from 31^st October until 20th December 2024,

Motorists are advised to plan ahead before they travel on the A40 between Halfway and Llandovery from 12 October until 6 May as major road works to ensure safety and long-term stability of the road take place.

Ahead of the anniversary of the introduction of the 20mph default speed limit in Wales, Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, has set out the next steps.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet Secretary announced a three phase-plan on 20mph,  including a National Listening Programme over the summer, which encouraged people to get involved and have their say. Welsh Government published revised guidance for highway authorities in July.

The first two phases of the plan are complete. Local authorities are now in the process of reviewing feedback from people, business, and communities across Wales to ensure 20mph is targeted on the right roads.

A number of councils are now starting to set out the final stage of the plan by publishing information on the amount of feedback received and the next steps.

Once their review  is complete, if local authorities decide to change the speed limit on an individual road, a statutory Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process will commence – providing a further opportunity for engagement with local people.

The latest statistics provide encouraging signs that things are moving in the right direction, with a fall in collisions and a reduction in speeds.

Speaking ahead of the one-year anniversary, Ken Skates said:

“I wanted to give people a voice on 20mph in their area and I am grateful to everyone who has shared feedback with their local council over the past few months.

“I want to build from the broad consensus that 20mph is right where people live, work and play – this is about getting the right speeds on the right roads.

“I want to pay tribute to our partners in local government. I’m pleased that local authorities are starting to move into the final stages of the plan. This will move at different paces in different places, according to local circumstances and the amount of feedback received.”

Chair of the Welsh Local Government Association, Cllr Andrew Morgan added:

“Local authorities welcome the further funding and support offered by the Welsh Government to get the right speeds on the right roads but are faced with challenging decisions. We will need to carefully balance the benefits and disbenefits of raising speeds. Safety of all road users will be at the heart of the decisions we take.”