Welsh Government to stick to 20mph but there will be ‘adjustments’, says Cabinet Secretary

The Welsh Government is to stick to its 20mph policy, but there will be "adjustments" to the way it is implemented, according to a Cabinet Secretary.

Jeremy Miles MS, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Welsh Language, said the Welsh Government is "not changing the policy," but acknowledged that the "implementation of that policy has differed, sometimes quite significantly, in different parts."

Speaking to BBC Wales' Politics Wales programme on Sunday, Mr Miles said: "You'd expect some level of variation because Wales is geographically varied, but there perhaps has been more variation in similar circumstances than you would expect.

"So this is about making sure the guidance, and listening to the public, and councillors, is a key part of that, and there will be some adjustments as a consequence of that, but that's about the implementation, not about the policy."

Since September 2023, local authorities in Wales have been obliged to set speed limits in urban and residential areas at 20mph as a default, even though they can keep some of those roads at 30mph.

It comes as newly-appointed Transport Secretary Ken Skates is expected to make his first ministerial statement on the Welsh Government's transport policies in the Senedd this coming Tuesday.

The new Transport Secretary has said that there will be changes to 20mph zones to ensure that they’re “truly targeted” in areas “where children and the elderly are at risk.”

Speaking in a debate called by the Welsh Conservatives to try to overturn the 20mph policy, Mr Skates said he'll be outlining "measures that will be taken in coming weeks and months in relation to all matters relating to transport and particularly to 20mph."

The Leader of Cardiff Council also spoke about potential changes to the 20mph limit on S4C’s Y Byd yn ei Le this week, saying that “half a dozen” 20mph roads in Cardiff could revert to their original speed limit.

Labour Councillor Huw Thomas said: "I can say that certainly in Cardiff’s case, there will be a review. This is a policy we’ve been introducing in Cardiff over a number of years.

Welsh Conservatives claim their pressure is “moving the dial among Labour Government Ministers,” but continue to call for the overall policy to be scrapped.

Natasha Asghar MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Transport Minister said: “The people of Wales have rightfully taken significant issue with Labour’s 20mph policy and ‘correcting guidance’ will not be enough to ease concerns."

She said that a "more targeted approach is needed with the support of the Welsh people.”

Meanwhile, Rhun ap Iorwerth, Leader of Plaid Cymru, said he supports the principle of widespread 20mph zones but believes it was "implemented very poorly and inconsistently, with too many roads changing to 20mph in places where it felt unreasonable."

He said: "Welsh Government must push ahead now and sort it out, working with local authorities and communities to ensure that limits are properly reviewed, and unreasonable 20mphs are removed."

A petition against the policy reached nearly half a million signatures, the highest number a Senedd petition has ever received.

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