logo
Wrexham roads to revert to 30mph by end of June, say council

Wrexham roads to revert to 30mph by end of June, say council

Leader Live21-05-2025
That is according to Wrexham Council, who say work on reverting roads will start in May.
Welsh Government introduced a default 20 mph speed limit on restricted roads across Wales on September 17, 2023.
The decision was met with mass opposition and in April 2024, Welsh Government announced a review of the 20 mph scheme.
Following extensive member engagement and public consultation, a list of 52 sections of highway which met the Welsh Government criteria for reversion back to 30mph was presented to the Executive Board in February 2025 - and the Executive Board approved the list in full.
Wrexham Council has since successfully applied for funding from Welsh Government and received a sum of £400,000.
This is sufficient to cover the signage works to ensure full compliance in accordance with the legal Traffic Regulation Orders, in addition to some minor works on the highways to improve safety - a contractor has been appointed.
The council today (May 21) confirmed that work on reverting the signage will start this month and it is anticipated that all 52 sections of highway will revert to 30 mph by the end of June.
Cllr David A Bithell, lead member for Strategic Transport said: 'Upon receiving the results of the public consultation it was obvious that the majority were not keen on many new 20mph and the impacts that they had.
'We have listened, considered the evidence and as a result are changing back 52 sections of highway – funded not through local means but from funding from Welsh Government. 'We are the first authority in Wales to start the process of reverting roads back.
MOST READ:
"Major milestone" as new store set to open at Eagles Meadow in Wrexham
Wales Comic Con to return later this year - but at a new north Wales location!
Police probe reports of male approaching young girls in Flinshire
'Whilst the changes to signage are being implemented it is advised that drivers stick to the signposted maximum speed limit and drive to the road conditions.
'Pre-existing 20mph zones such as around schools will not be changing and there is no excuse for speeding in these areas.'
The list approved by Executive Board for reversion to 30 mph is below. Please note that the legal TRO covers 52 sections of highway. Some sections of highway are contained within the same 'road' which explains why there are not 52 names in the list below:
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Closed Gwynedd attraction under redevelopment receives another £3.3m
Closed Gwynedd attraction under redevelopment receives another £3.3m

North Wales Live

timean hour ago

  • North Wales Live

Closed Gwynedd attraction under redevelopment receives another £3.3m

A major tourism attraction - currently being redeveloped - has received another significant funding boost. The National Slate Museum in Llanberis has been closed since November last year and will reopen in 2026. It is undergoing a significant upgrade to create a new learning centre, play area, shop and café at the museum, as well as making the whole site more accessible. Today Welsh Government announced an additional £3.3m boost to support the re-development. This brings the Welsh Government's total contribution to the project to £5.8m - with £2.5m previously awarded. On top of this the last Conservative UK Government approved £6.2m from the Levelling-Up fund, part of a wider regeneration bid by Cyngor Gwynedd. In addition the project has had £12m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. This brings the total investment to £24m - raising expectations of what will be unveiled when the site reopens. As well as paying for the redevelopment funding will also enable the site to continue to develop its role as a living museum by offering training and opportunities for people to learn about and develop traditional heritage skills. The museum has temporarily closed to safely carry out the conservation and renovation work. But Amgueddfa Cymru is taking the museum on the road around local attractions and community events in north Wales and through 'pop up' museums at the Quarry Hospital and Penrhyn Castle. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Today's announcement consists of an additional £3m plus the award of a £300,000 Communities Facilities Programme grant towards the construction of a new café, Learning and Volunteering Centre and Changing Places facilities. Culture Minister, Jack Sargeant said: 'As Culture Minister and a proud north Walian, it's been an ideal summer for me – visiting one exciting development or event in the Gogledd after another. The almost-finished, new-look Theatr Clwyd; the National Slate Museum at the beginning of its own transformation journey; the Maes of the National Eisteddfod in Wrexham where I joined tens of thousands of other visitors to celebrate all things Cymraeg and was updated on the progress of the new Football Museum for Wales within Wrexham Museum. 'We have increased day-to-day spend on culture by 8.5% this year and tripled investment in venues and sites compared to a decade ago. But our spend on culture goes far beyond this - it is woven into budgets across Welsh Government. 'Our investment in the National Slate Museum today is an excellent example of how this works in practice with £5.5m from my department's budget combined with community regeneration funding to ensure the redeveloped museum offers a world class experience for visitors to the slate landscape of north-west Wales – a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2021.' They added that the Government had allocated over £230m this year to culture and cultural programmes outside of the Culture Minister's portfolio - across departments including education, local government, economy, health, the Welsh language, energy and social justice. This includes funding for familiar and culturally significant projects like the National Music Service, the Urdd, National and Llangollen Eisteddfodau, the summer reading challenge across all libraries in Wales, the investment in our film, TV and live music sectors and high-profile events like Tafwyl and the year-long 2025 Richard Burton Centenary programme.

Strange new markings appearing on North Wales roads and what they mean
Strange new markings appearing on North Wales roads and what they mean

North Wales Live

timean hour ago

  • North Wales Live

Strange new markings appearing on North Wales roads and what they mean

A new road safety initiative designed to make motorcycling safer has been introduced in Gwynedd, Denbighshire and Powys. Novel signs and road markings are being trailed at four sites to influence the riding behaviour of bikers taking left-hand bends. The markings apply the principles of 'nudge theory' to help riders make better decisions when approaching bends. Grounded in the latest developments in applied psychology, they have already been used in Scotland with 'astounding' success. Technically, they're called PRIMEs, which stands for 'Perceptual Rider Information for Maximising Expertise and Enjoyment'. By deploying 'subtle and well-placed visual cues', they are intended to 'prime' motorcyclists to adapt their riding when approaching blind bends. This first Welsh trial of PRIMEs have been hailed a 'major milestone' in adopting data-driven, low-cost safety improvements for vulnerable road users. If successful, the signs and markings could be expanded across the wider road network in Wales. The Welsh Government, in partnership with the North and Mid Wales Trunk Road Agent (NMWTRA), is initially trialing PRIME signs and markings at four blackspot sites. These are: Ken Skates, cabinet secretary for transport and North Wales, said: 'Evidence shows that motorcyclists are amongst the most vulnerable road users, especially on roads with sharp bends. PRIME is an effective way to help reduce risks and support riders to make safer choices on the road, so it was right thing to do.' Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now Evidence that the road markings work was demonstrated in western Scotland in what was believed to be the most in-depth investigation of biker behaviour anywhere in the world. Over three years, video footage of more than 32,000 biker journeys was manually analysed across 22 sites. The research found PRIME markings brought about significant speed reductions and safer braking behaviour. Road positioning was also improved, both on the approach and at the apex of bends. At the time, Scottish transport minister Fiona Hyslop called the results 'astounding'. PRIMES were seen as a low-cost road safety intervention with 'potentially global implications'. In reality, all road markings are designed with safety in mind, from yellow zigzags outside schools to double white lines stopping overtaking. PRIMEs' success lay in targeting specific road users. Pushing for their introduction in Wales were Powys Council and Dyfed-Powys Police. Last year there were 25 collisions in the county resulting in at least one biker being killed - an increase of 66% on 2023. In March, the local authority passed a resolution calling on the Welsh Government to fund the PRIMES initiative. Councillors wanted the scheme supported to address a 'road safety crisis' in the county. Similar concerns have been expressed in North Wales. In 2024, six bikers were killed on the region's roads. The stats for 2023 were even worse: eight bikers were killed and 81 seriously injured. This summer North Wales Police is taking part in the national Op Apex campaign, which is designed to increase safety awareness among motorcyclists. In May, officers visited Cae Llan car park in Betws-y-Coed, a popular meeting spot for bikers. Among them was temporary Inspector Jason Diamond, Op Apex lead in the region. He said: 'North Wales is a magnet for motorcyclists due to the beauty of the area. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox "As a keen biker myself, I know that I and my fellow motorcyclist colleagues not only understand the risks, we are passionate about how we can work together to reduce these statistics.'

UK Government rules out giving something people in Wales want
UK Government rules out giving something people in Wales want

Wales Online

time21 hours ago

  • Wales Online

UK Government rules out giving something people in Wales want

UK Government rules out giving something people in Wales want The Welsh Government and all 22 councils want the Crown Estate to be devolved to Wales but the UK Government has said no The Crown Estate, the collection of marine and land assets and holdings that belong to the monarch, is a hot political topic The UK Government has said that the Crown Estate will not be devolved to Wales because it "would risk market fragmentation, complicate existing processes, and delay further development offshore". ‌ The Crown Estate is a collection of marine and land assets and holdings that belong to the monarch. It includes the seabed out to 12 nautical miles, which is around 65% of the Welsh foreshore and riverbed, and a number of ports and marinas. On land the Crown Estates owns 50,000 acres of common land in Wales. The value of the estate in Wales is more than £603m of land. ‌ It is a hot political topic, because since 2019 responsibility for management of the Crown Estate's assets in Scotland has been devolved but that is not the case in Wales. ‌ In 2024, the Independent Commission on the Constitutional Future of Wales – which you can read here – said that options for devolving the Crown Estate to Wales should be looked at. The Welsh Government want it too, with the First Minister making it clear Welsh Labour believe "the Crown Estate should be devolved". Plaid Cymru, which is doing better than Labour in polls ahead of a Senedd election in May 2026, is making it a central pledge of their election campaign. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here On top of that, all 22 councils in Wales have now backed a transfer of the Crown Estate from the UK to Welsh Government ‌ However, the UK Government has ruled it out. In response to a letter sent by campaigners Yes Cymru to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Welsh secretary Jo Stevens has said that is not the position of her party colleagues in London. In it, she writes: "It is this government's view that devolving the Crown Estate and introducing a new entity would risk market fragmentation, complicate existing processes, and delay further development offshore. ‌ "Furthermore, devolution would mean Wales losing access to Crown Estate investment that comes from its revenues in England. It would also risk undermining investment in floating offshore wind, which is needed to provide lower bills, cleaner energy, and better jobs. This government is focussed on delivering these objectives and so does not support the devolution of the Crown Estate in Wales," the Cardiff East MP says. "Even if devolution could be done without risking the revenues the Crown Estate generates, this would not automatically lead to an increase in the funding available to the Welsh Government. This is because any revenues retained by the Welsh Government in a devolved system would likely be offset through reductions to their block grant as is currently the case in Scotland. "Creating an artificial border through the Celtic Sea would also complicate crucially important work to develop the floating offshore wind industry, particularly as floating offshore wind lease areas straddle the Wales/England border." ‌ YesCymru has pledged to intensify the campaign in response to Westminster's refusal, which started with a protest at the Eisteddfod. Chair Phyl Griffiths said: "The Crown Estate proves that the practice of extraction is still alive in 21st century Wales and has resulted in all 22 authorities speaking with one voice, underlining the fact we're a nation. "The London government's response to our call to transfer control of the Crown Estate to Wales, however, only proves that they see us as nothing more than a region of the UK." Article continues below

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store