Transport Secretary Ken Skates MS outlines changes to 20mph policy in Wales

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00:00 and build from. The Welsh Government continues to believe that 20 miles an hour is the right

00:04 speed limit in places such as near schools, hospitals, nurseries, community centres, play

00:09 areas and in built-up residential areas. This is particularly the case when children and

00:14 vulnerable people are in close contact with traffic. The principal objective of the policy

00:20 is to enable people to feel safer in their communities through reducing collisions. What

00:25 I am now doing is listening to what people want for the roads in their communities and

00:29 pressing ahead with refining the policy and getting the right speeds on the right roads.

00:34 To achieve this, we are initiating a number of actions. The first element of my approach

00:39 is to have a genuine programme of listening to people. Between now and July, we will listen

00:44 to citizens, to bus drivers, emergency services, the police, to young people, vulnerable people,

00:50 to businesses and to councillors in county, town and community councils in order to understand

00:55 their perspectives on road safety in residential areas. In the last week, I have met leaders

01:01 and lead transport members from every local authority in Wales to reinforce my commitment

01:06 to work with them as the decision-makers over speed limits on most roads. I am pleased that

01:12 they have all agreed to work in partnership with me in the coming weeks and months.

01:17 The second element of my plan is to work in partnership with key bodies to prepare the

01:20 ground for change. Councils are already looking at local roads where changes might be needed.

01:27 As part of our listening programme, I will encourage people to get in touch with their

01:31 local council to tell them where they think 20 miles an hour should be targeted. Information

01:35 on how you can do this will be available on the Welsh Government website. I will also

01:39 work with town and community councils to make sure that their voices are part of this national

01:44 conversation. Alongside this, the Welsh Government will revise its exemptions guidance, again

01:50 by working in partnership with councils. I am pleased to inform Members today that my

01:54 officials have asked the existing external review to bring their work to a rapid conclusion.

02:00 I expect their final report within the next few weeks. I will publish it as soon as possible.

02:06 I will then publish revised exemptions guidance by the summer. This will allow local authorities

02:12 to better target 20 miles an hour on appropriate routes. I am delighted to report today that,

02:17 in order to support that process, we will draw on advice from the County Surveyor's

02:21 Society, who will also be available to provide advice and support on changes to all local

02:26 authorities. Ultimately, the decision rests with the highway authority.

02:33 The third element is to then deliver the necessary changes on the ground. Once local authorities

02:38 have worked with communities and new guidance is finalised, highway authorities will be

02:43 able to commence the process of adjusting speed limits on relevant roads. I expect this

02:47 process to begin from September. Ultimately, the degree of change in each of our local

02:53 authorities will not be determined by me and the Welsh Government, but by the public and

02:58 councils as the highway authority for most residential roads.

03:03 Let me be clear on another important point that has emerged through my engagement with

03:06 council leaders this week. I absolutely recognise the range of pressures facing our partners

03:11 in local government, and this Government is committed to ensuring that they have the resources

03:16 they need to implement change. We will not expect councils, who are facing difficult

03:21 financial pressures, to cover the cost of adjusting routes back to 30 miles an hour.

03:25 To summarise, we will listen, work in partnership with councils and support delivery of targeted

03:30 change on the ground. This approach isn't limited to our work on

03:34 speed limits. I will continue to listen to people across Wales on transport issues that

03:39 they face. We will strengthen partnerships with our regions, letting them shape their

03:45 own transport priorities that work for their communities. We will lobby the UK Government's

03:51 present and future to do the same and to invest in our communities.

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