August 14, 2026 - 192 views
Fifteen roads across Conwy County will return to a 30mph speed limit from Monday (17 August), following a major review of Wales' controversial default 20mph policy.
The roads include routes in Colwyn Bay, Old Colwyn, Rhos on Sea, Penrhyn Bay, Llanrhos, Conwy, Gyffin, Kinmel Bay and Dolgarrog, as well as sections of the B5279 and B5106.
The changes follow feedback from local residents and businesses after Wales introduced its default 20mph speed limit in September 2023.
The policy changed the default limit on restricted roads — typically roads in residential and built-up areas with street lighting — from 30mph to 20mph.
The Welsh Government said the move was designed to make roads safer, reduce the number and severity of collisions and casualties, encourage walking and cycling, and improve the quality of life in communities.
However, the policy quickly became one of the most controversial pieces of legislation introduced by the Welsh Government.
A Senedd petition calling for the 20mph law to be scrapped attracted 469,571 signatures, making it the largest petition in the history of the Welsh Parliament.
Critics argued that the blanket approach was inappropriate for some roads, would increase journey times and could damage businesses and the wider economy.
The Welsh Government's own regulatory assessment estimated that the implementation of the policy would cost around £32.4 million.
The economic impact also became a major point of debate. The original Welsh Government assessment identified an estimated economic disbenefit of up to £8.9 billion, largely linked to longer journey times.
Supporters of the policy, meanwhile, have argued that reducing vehicle speeds can save lives and reduce serious injuries. Early Welsh Government monitoring found average speeds on the main roads studied fell by around 4mph, from 28.9mph to 24.8mph, after the change.
The policy has since been adjusted rather than scrapped.
Following widespread criticism, the Welsh Government launched a national listening exercise in 2024, asking people to identify particular roads where they believed a 30mph limit would be more appropriate.
Local authorities were subsequently given revised guidance to assess roads individually, taking into account factors including road safety, traffic speeds, traffic volumes and the number of pedestrians and cyclists using the route.
In Conwy, the council received 702 individual comments relating to 149 streets or road sections.
Those responses were assessed using the Welsh Government's revised criteria, with the council drawing up a priority list of roads where a return to 30mph could potentially be appropriate.
The process has involved traffic assessments, consideration of collision records and traffic patterns, consultation with local residents and the formal Traffic Regulation Order process.
The result is the latest list of 15 roads which will now return to 30mph.
They are:
Colwyn Road, Craigside
Glan y Mor Road, Penrhyn Bay
Llandudno Road, near Coleg Llandrillo
Conway Road, Llanrhos
Bryn Lupus Road, Llanrhos
Sychnant Road, Conwy
Llanrwst Road, Gyffin
B5279, Tal y Cafn to Ty’n y Groes
Gwydyr Road, Dolgarrog
Abergele Road, Old Colwyn
Llanrwst Road, Colwyn Bay to Bryn y Maen
B5106, Caerhun to Llanrwst Road, Ty’n y Groes
St Asaph Avenue, Kinmel Bay
Marine Drive, Rhos on Sea
Rotary Way, Colwyn Bay
The cost of changing speed limits has itself become part of the controversy.
The Welsh Government initially provided funding for councils to introduce the 20mph limits, with the original implementation estimate put at £32.4 million.
A further £5 million was subsequently made available to local authorities to help implement changes arising from the national review and new guidance.
That means roads which have already had signs and restrictions changed to 20mph can require further work when a 30mph limit is reinstated — effectively creating another round of signage and Traffic Regulation Order costs.
Conwy Council has previously confirmed that the original costs of implementing the 20mph limit across Wales were met by the Welsh Government through grants to local authorities.
Councillor Michael Priestley, Conwy's Cabinet Member for Environment, Roads and Infrastructure, said the council had listened to the views of local communities.
He said: “We asked for the opinions of the community and have listened. I’m delighted that the list of roads to revert to 30mph has been finalised with the wishes of local residents and businesses in mind.”
The return to 30mph does not mean every road that was previously 30mph will automatically be changed.
Conwy Council says roads must still meet the national safety criteria before a higher limit can be introduced.
The debate over 20mph therefore continues — with the policy remaining in place as the default, but with councils now able to make targeted exceptions where there is evidence that a higher limit is appropriate.
For drivers, the message is simple: check the signs carefully from Monday, as the legal speed limit will change on the affected roads.
