Council leaders from Welsh Local Authorities have been facing ‘challenging decisions’ as they review requests for some roads to receive an exemption from Wale’s 20mph default national speed limit.

After the National Listening Campaign and the publication of Revised Welsh Government Guidance For Highway Authorities, Local Government councillors across the country are now reviewing feedback from local businesses, schools and residents to make sure the 20mph speed limit is applied to the correct roads.

‘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.’

Cllr Andrew Morgan –  Chair of the Welsh Local Government Association

Local officials have gone on record to say that the first two phases of Ken Skate’s (Welsh Government Minister) three-phase plan have been implemented.

When the new speed limit was announced, Ken Skate commented that s 20mph speed limit is right where people “live, work or play.

]However, the legislation did leave room for some roads to remain exempt… at the discretion of Local Councillors. If councillors decide to change the speed limit of an individual road, a statutory Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) process must commence to provide a further opportunity for engagement with local residents.

“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’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.”

Ken Skates – Welsh Government Minister

With some local Welsh councils now publishing data on the number of requests and feedback they’ve received, the BBC were able to identify over 10,500 requests to consider changing around 1,500 stretches of road in Wales back to a 30mph speed limit. By far the most amount of requests have been in the Newport area, with over 500 appeals from residents, for 334 differing locations currently being looked at.