Sam Rowlands MS for North Wales is calling for councils to ‘listen to locals’ over plans to introduce a blanket 20mph speed limit in their towns.
Mr Rowlands, Shadow Minister for Local Government in the Welsh Parliament, who recently supported campaigners in Buckley, fighting against this introduction, said councils were responsible for providing local services not Welsh Government.
Mr Rowlands was commenting after Monmouthshire County Council, which along with Buckley, was one of the eight places in Wales to trial the new limit, said they planned to reverse the 20mph to 30mph on some roads due to complaints from the public.
The new default speed limit to 20mph, which is due to be implemented in September 2023, will affect 30mph roads with street lights fewer 200 yards apart but this can be overturned by local authorities.
Mr Rowlands said:
The trial certainly caused a lot of problems for people living in Buckley and I voted against it being fully implemented, however, the Welsh Labour Government refused to listen.
I do support letting councils put 20mph speed limits outside schools, hospitals and other areas where evidence shows it’s a benefit, but a blanket 20mph speed limit across urban roads in Wales has caused real anger across communities and is just not right.
Welsh Government claim the new speed limit of 20mph on our roads will cut pollution but this is disputed by experts.
Professor Paul Lewis of Swansea University's medical school, who is Director of the Centre for Health and Environmental Management Research and Innovation, says: "There are some small likely benefits to vehicles driving at 20mph, relative to higher speeds, in that the tiny particulates (PM2.5 and PM10) that come from brake dust and tyre wear is reduced as people brake less than they would at higher speeds. There is still a lack of evidence as to the exact amount of reduction in air pollution though.
It is ironic that Labour run Monmouthshire County Council now want to reverse some of the roads back to 30mph and are actually listening to what local people have to say, unlike the Welsh Labour Government.
I would now urge all authorities to take the same stance and listen to the locals and make the decisions which affect their residents.
After hearing the concerns of local people Monmouthshire County Council has announced it will overturn the decision. The council said it had made the decision to propose a reversal of some of the roads back to 30mph in some parts to “address some of the community concerns raised while balancing this with the benefits of reducing speed limits”.
Sam Rowlands AS yn annog cynghorau i wrando ar breswylwyr ynghylch terfynau cyflymder 20mya
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr AS dros Ogledd Cymru, yn galw ar gynghorau i wrando ar bobl leol ynghylch cynlluniau i gyflwyno terfyn cyflymder cyffredinol o 20mya yn eu trefi.
Dywedodd Mr Rowlands, Gweinidog Llywodraeth Leol yr Wrthblaid yn y Senedd, a gefnogodd ymgyrchwyr yn ddiweddar ym Mwcle, gan frwydro yn erbyn y cyflwyniad hwn, mai cynghorau a oedd yn gyfrifol am ddarparu gwasanaethau lleol, nid Llywodraeth Cymru.
Roedd Mr Rowlands yn rhoi ei sylwadau ar ôl i Gyngor Sir Fynwy, a oedd gyda Bwcle yn un o’r wyth lle yng Nghymru i dreialu’r terfyn cyflymder newydd, yn dweud eu bod yn bwriadu gwrthdroi’r 20mya i 30mya ar rai ffyrdd yn dilyn cwynion gan y cyhoedd.
Bydd y terfyn cyflymder safonol diofyn newydd o 20mya, a fydd yn dod i rym ym mis Medi 2023, yn effeithio ar ffyrdd 30mya gyda goleuadau stryd llai na 200 llath ar wahân, ond gall awdurdodau lleol wrthdroi hyn.
Meddai Mr Rowlands:
Achosodd y treial lawer o broblemau i bobl sy’n byw ym Mwcle a phleidleisiais yn erbyn ei roi ar waith ymhob man, ond gwrthododd Llywodraeth Llafur Cymru wrando.
Rydw i o blaid gadael i’r cynghorau roi terfynau cyflymder o 20mya o gwmpas ysgolion, ysbytai ac ardaloedd eraill lle mae tystiolaeth o’i fanteision, ond mae terfyn cyflymder o 20mya ar bob ffordd drefol yng Nghymru wedi cythruddo cymunedau a dydy o ddim yn iawn o gwbl.
Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn honni y bydd y terfyn cyflymder newydd o 20mya ar ein ffyrdd yn lleihau llygredd, ond mae arbenigwyr yn amau hyn.
Meddai’r Athro Paul Lewis o Ysgol Feddygol Prifysgol Abertawe, sy’n Gyfarwyddwr Ymchwil Iechyd a Rheoli’r Amgylchedd ac Arloesi: “Mae manteision bach tebygol os yw cerbydau yn gyrru 20mya, sy’n berthynol i gyflymder uwch, o ran bod y gronynnau bach (PM2.5 a PM10) a ddaw o lwch brêcs a thraul teiars yn lleihau wrth i bobl frecio yn llai nag y bydden nhw wrth deithio’n gyflymach. Ond mae diffyg tystiolaeth o hyd ynghylch yr union ostyngiad mewn llygredd aer.
Mae’n eironig fod Cyngor Sir Fynwy dan reolaeth Llafur am wrthdroi rhai o’r ffyrdd yn ôl i 30mya ac yn gwrando ar yr hyn sydd gan bobl leol i’w ddweud, yn wahanol i Lywodraeth Llafur Cymru.
Byddwn yn erfyn ar bob awdurdod i gymryd yr un safiad a gwrando ar y bobl leol a gwneud y penderfyniadau sy’n effeithio ar eu preswylwyr.
Ar ôl gwrando ar holl bryderon pobl leol, cyhoeddodd Cyngor Sir Fynwy y bydd yn gwrthdroi’r penderfyniad. Dywedodd y cyngor ei fod wedi penderfynu cynnig gwrthdroi rhai o’r ffyrdd yn ôl i 30mya mewn rhai mannau “i fynd i’r afael â phryderon y gymuned gan gydbwyso hyn gyda manteision lleihau terfynau cyflymder.”
