We want 20mph speed limit, say worried villagers

"I have to walk on the road as there’s no pavement there, and that’s really terrifying," says Maia, 12

The 20mph speed limit has many critics across Wales, but some people in two villages have said they would welcome it near their homes.

A number of residents in Eglwys Fach and Furnace in Ceredigion said they did not feel safe walking in the villages, which have a 40mph speed limit on a section of a main road without a pavement.

They said there had been fatal accidents and many near-misses near their homes on the A487, and that they have been calling for a safer walking route for decades.

The Welsh government - which has indicated changes to Wales' default 20mph limit - said it took road safety very seriously and a feasibility study for a footpath in the villages has been commissioned.

The villagers' calls came before Wales’ new Transport Secretary Ken Skates said there would be changes to the existing default 20mph speed limit in built-up areas of Wales.

Mr Skates said the 20mph zones should be targeted at schools, hospitals and nurseries.

He said there was support for the limit in areas where children and the elderly were “at risk”, with the “voice of citizens at the heart of all we do”.

Speaking before Mr Skates's comments, people in the two Ceredigion villages described their experiences of the A487 between Machynlleth and Aberystwyth.

Alison Swanson, a community councillor who has lived in Furnace for most of her life, said she remembered three fatal accidents in the area.

She said pedestrians often felt at risk when walking to the church or the village hall, known as the “Iron Room”, where many activities are held each week, including fitness classes.

“When you’re walking from the hall quite often people have had their exercise mats clipped,” she said.

“And if you’ve got two lorries coming at 40mph, that’s quite a speed through here. You basically have to go into the hedge.”

"When you're walking from the hall quite often people have had their exercise mats clipped," says community councillor Alison Swanson

Maia, 12, catches a bus to school in Aberystwyth and said: “Every morning I walk down to the bus stop and there’s cars and lorries going really fast past me.

“I have to walk on the road as there’s no pavement there, and that’s really terrifying because the lorries drive really close because they have no room.”

In November 2023 residents held a protest march on the road through the villages carrying placards calling for a lower speed limit.

They were addressed by Ceredigion Member of the Senedd Elin Jones, who said the community had campaigned for better road safety for many years.

Celia Davies, from Furnace, wears a high-vis jacket when she takes her dog Rosie out, and is scared when they have to walk along the edge of the busy road.

“It isn’t safe. Sometimes you feel [the draught from the vehicles] sort of twinge away at your anorak sleeve," she said.

“It really is quite scary. It’s not quite as scary as walking with my grandson, I mean, that’s a nightmare."

"It really is quite scary," says Celia Davies, who wears high-vis when taking Rosie for a walk

'No pavements or speed limit'

Last year the 20mph speed limit came into force for all restricted roads, defined as those with lampposts placed not more than 200 yards (180m) apart, and are typically in residential and built-up areas of high pedestrian activity.

It applies to 37% of the road network in Wales, although councils can apply for exemptions on stretches.

The Welsh government said when it was introduced, it would mean fewer collisions, injuries and deaths and that people of all ages would “feel safer to walk” in their communities.

Despite opposition to the 20mph in other communities, Ms Swanson said people in Eglwys Fach and Furnace would welcome it.

“We’re 40mph and no pavement, which at the moment is very rare," she said.

“Every other [nearby] village that’s got 20mph also has pavements. We’ve got neither. We don’t care if they reduce the speed limit to 20mph – just reduce the speed.”

Residents of the villages have submitted a petition to the Senedd calling for a lower speed limit.

Mr Skates said he would give more details on his plans when he makes a statement to the Senedd next week.

A Welsh government spokesperson said it regularly reviewed police collision data to inform the need for additional measures.

It also said it had commissioned a feasibility study for the provision of a footpath in the villages with a proposed scheme to follow, subject to funding and prioritisation.