20mph speed limits

27 May 2022

Dear

Request for Information – ATISN 16152

Information requested

You asked for the following information in in relation to the Buckley, Flintshire 20mph speed restriction implementation –

1. Copies and dates of the documentation sent out about this scheme inviting areas in Wales to participate and clarification about whether this was sent to County Councils or Town and Community Councils?  Details to include whether this is a pilot or temporary scheme.
2. Details of any incentives offered to participating areas (financial or otherwise).
3. Copy and date of the submission for Buckley including all roads proposed.  Clarification of who submitted it - Buckley Town Council or Flintshire County Council?  
4. Details of the requirements to consult with the community and members of the public about the speed reduction and at what stage and for how long.
5. If the WG provided guidance on the consultation process that had to take place please provide a copy.
6. Did WG request details or evidence of the consultation process carried out for the 20mph introduction in Buckley?  If yes please provide a copy.  
7. Details of how areas proposed to be 20mph (bids received) were selected and approved such as scoring basis and use of police accident or injury data.  Was this solely a WG process and if not who else participated such as the police or local authorities.
8. Copies of WG documentation with Buckley Town Council and Flintshire County Council about any changes to the proposal submitted - such as addition of primary or main routes to the 20mph scheme.  Did WG add any additional roads and why and who did they communicate this to?
9. Could the 20mph scheme have been rejected if either Buckley Town Council or Flintshire County Council did not agree with any additional 20mph roads proposed.  If yes please provide details of this process.  
10. If additional roads were added by WG was there a requirement to consult further with the community?  Was this the statutory consultation and was there any guidance on how this must take place to include all members of the community (such as public meetings and postal drops for people not computer literate). 
11. Copies of the documents sent to Buckley Town Council or Flintshire County Council approving the final scheme.
12. Details of the funding provided to both Buckley Town Council and Flintshire County Council to implement the introduction of the 20mph scheme.  Please provide any details of breakdown of agreed expenditure such as staff costs; signage; publicity etc.  Please clarify how the scheme expenditure is being verified by WG. Is it subject to independent audit?
13. Copies of any letters; emails or meeting minutes from Senedd Member Jack Sargeant concerning the Buckley 20mph scheme.
14. The process for measuring the 'success' of the scheme or review process.  When is this taking place and what qualitative and quantitate measures are being used.
15. Details of when the Senedd will formally consider the feedback (or 'success' measures) from the implementation of the 20mph scheme.

Our response

I can confirm that we hold some information in relation to your response. 

1. It was only sent to county councils as Local Highway Authorities.  The speed limit orders are permanent and remain in force unless the HA decided to amend or rescind them. Attached is the invitation letter from the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to participate in the 1^st phase of the 20mph scheme.

2. See attached Road Safety Grant for Flintshire (Doc 1)

3. Only Local Highway Authorities were invited to participate in the scheme. The submission from Flintshire County Council for Buckley to be included in the 1^st Phase of the 20mph scheme was received on the 24^th December 2020. (See Doc 2)

4. The 1^st Phase application form did request information about the authority’s proposed community engagement. The statutory consultation process for the traffic orders associated with the 20mph 1st phase scheme is ultimately the responsibility of Flintshire as a Highway Authority and they are published in the local press an on their Website . (Link).  There is a statutory process by which highway authorities must follow. The Traffic Regulation Order process.

5. Welsh Government did not provide official guidance on the consultation process, however we did share best practice from other 1^st Phase Settlements and offered assistance to them

6. The statutory consultation process for the traffic orders associated with the 20mph 1^st phase scheme is a responsibility of Flintshire as a Highway Authority. See Question 4.

7. All local authorities were invited to become part of the 1^st Phase 20mph scheme. The panel considering the applications consisted of internal WG official and independent consultant and academic. A scoring matrix with an agreed value was prepared by the panel. Each member of the panel scored the local authority submitted applications independently. The bids did not refer to specific roads but settlements and therefore police accident or injury data were not relevant at this point in time.

8. Transport for Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government have managed the 20mph 1^st Phase settlements. Requests for this correspondence should be directed to Transport for Wales.

9. Flintshire applied to be one of the 20mph 1^st Phase settlements to undertake a preparatory works in advance of the proposed 20mph national default speed limit on restricted roads.

Flintshire County Council as the local highway authority produced the traffic regulation orders for those roads that would be 20mph.

10 No additional roads were added by Welsh Government.11. Please find attached the acceptance letter for Flintshire County Council to be approved as part of the 20mph 1^st Phase scheme.

12. Buckley Town Council was not part of the 1^st phase 20mph scheme.

Welsh Government officials verify the grant scheme expenditure received from Flintshire County Council adheres to the Grant Award terms and conditions (grant award letter attached).  Officials request quarterly project meetings with the Project Manager at Flintshire County Council.  Welsh Government is subject to internal independent audit in each financial year.  This grant is not subject to an external audit.

13.Please see attach the letter from Petitions Committee chair, Jack Sargeant to Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters, together with link to the Deputy Minister’s letter in response.

Please see the recording from the Petitions Committee discussing the 20mph Petition.

There have been no meetings between Welsh Government and Jack Sergeant regarding the Flintshire 1^st Phase scheme.

14. The Monitoring and Evaluation strategy is attached. A more in-depth strategy is being development for the implementation.

15. This is to be confirmed

I have decided that some of the information contained in the enclosed documents is exempt from disclosure under Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 – personal data.  Full reasoning for withholding the information can be seen at Annex A below. 

Next steps

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response. Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit 
Welsh Government
Cathays Park 
Cardiff 
CF10 3NQ 

or e-mail: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.   

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: 

Information Commissioner’s Office 
Wycliffe House 
Water Lane 
Wilmslow 
Cheshire 
SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113
Website: www.ico.org.uk    

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely