The Corporate Director – Communities submitted a report, in order to seek the approval of Cabinet to adopt a revised procedure when consulting with local members, individuals and organisations and when giving public notice related to permanent Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs), in order to streamline the process going forward.

She explained that the Wales Transport Strategy 2021, published by the Welsh Government identified as one of its key priorities, to ‘change the default speed limit from 30mph to 20mph in built-up areas to reduce traffic related injuries and fatalities and make walking and cycling safer and more attractive’.

It was therefore proposed, that by enabling a much wider take up of 20mph limits, this would achieve significant road safety benefits, particularly in deprived neighbourhoods. In the longer term, reductions in the perception of road danger was expected to lead to more walking and cycling, which will improve public health and replace some short car journeys and assist   further reductions in collisions and casualties. More walking and cycling was also likely to lead to greater social cohesion, which brings further societal and health benefits. Lower speeds would also lead to reductions in traffic noise, while impacts on air quality will be neutral at worst and journey time increases will be slight.

The Corporate Director – Communities further explained, that as part of the new legislation, a 20mph Task Force was created to work closely with

Local Authorities to identify those roads which would be an exception to the

legislation.

Bridgend County Borough Council have identified over 100 exceptions, all of which will require Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO’s), either for the retention or amendments to speed limits. The deadline for the roll-out of the 20mph status for certain roads by Welsh Government was September next year

Outlined in paragraphs 4 of the report, was the consultation process generally to be undertaken prior to the statutory public notice stage and before a permanent TRO can be implemented. Dependent upon the size and scale of the TRO process, this may result in different engagement methods being undertaken, she explained. This section of the report also listed the statutory consultees the Council were required to engage with, that included local Members.

The remainder of the main body of the report went on to explain the legal process regarding the Council’s statutory obligations when proposing to make a TRO, together with the process that has to be followed if there are any objections or appeals to such a proposal(s).

The Corporate Director – Communities, then finally explained the report’s financial implications, ie that the costs for Authority sponsored Traffic Regulation Orders are either funded from within existing budgets, or from third parties. There were therefore no financial implications arising from the report’s proposals.

The Cabinet Member – Communities commended the report and advised that Welsh Government in the new year would be publicising proposals regarding the 20mph scheme so that members of the public are more aware of this intention.

The Leader added that the making or amending of a considerable number of TRO’s would give a significant amount of increased workload to Officers in both the Legal and Highways Directorates.

In response to a further query from the Deputy Leader, the Corporate Director – Communities, confirmed that a key consultee of a TRO was the Police, who would get the opportunity to agree or disagree with proposals that would be pursued by local authorities across Wales (including BCBC), as this was a National Scheme that would be applied subject to exceptions (ie roads that will not be subject to a 20mph speed restriction). Any contravention regarding speed limits on the highway network by drivers of vehicles, was of course she added, the responsibility of the Police to enforce.

RESOLVED:                                   That Cabinet:

(1)  Approved that the Consultation Procedure for Road Traffic Regulation Orders 2014, as set out in the Cabinet Report attached at Appendix 1, is amended as outlined at paragraph 4.5 (subject to the deletion of the words in brackets in the first sub-bullet point in paragraph 4.5.1 of the report) and that authority is delegated to the Corporate Director – Communities to make the necessary amendments.

(2)   Further approved, that all future traffic management and road safety proposals follow the amended procedure as set out in the report.