20mph speed limit set to be introduced in residential areas
ALL roads in residential areas will be made 20mph and pavement parking will be banned under new laws being planned by the Welsh Government.
The Welsh Government has published a list of new laws it will pursue in the new Senedd term.
It says there will be five new Bills in the first year of this Senedd and a wide array of regulations, as well as other legislation needed to manage the pandemic.
The laws the Labour-run administration promises this year are:
A new system will be put in place for post-16 education and training in Wales;
A new agriculture bill will create a new system of farm payments in Wales which “will reward farmers for their response to the climate and nature emergencies as well as supporting them to produce Welsh food in a sustainable way”;
The fair work rights of workers will be “ensured by the Social Partnership and Public Procurement Bill” and more socially responsible public procurement;
A Bill to enable changes to devolved taxes to respond quickly to unexpected events which could have a significant impact on Welsh revenues; and
The first consolidation bill, to make the law in Wales more accessible. It will bring together a mass of very old, complicated legislation relating to listed buildings and the historic environment, to create a single and fully bilingual law which is easy to understand.
Regulations will also be introduced to make 20mph the default speed limit in residential areas and ban pavement parking wherever possible to make streets more accessible for disabled people and parents with prams and pushchairs.
In February, the Welsh Government announced eight pilot areas across the country where 20mph speed limits would be put into place ahead of a planned national rollout by 2023.
The pilot areas include St Brides Major in Vale of Glamorgan, and “northwest Cardiff” – covering parts of Whitchurch, Tongwynlais, Llandaff North, Rhiwbina and Heath.
Safety campaigners say pavement parking needs to be banned to ensure pedestrians’ safety .
Rhiannon Hardiman, of Living Streets Cymru, said: “Pavement parking is dangerous, forcing people with wheelchairs, buggies and visual impairments into the road and into oncoming traffic. We want a default ban in Wales with an exception allowing pavement parking on specially designated streets.
“Having well-maintained and clear pavements would encourage people of all ages to walk more, which is vital if we’re to ensure we don’t return to the status quo of congested and polluted streets when lockdown restrictions ease.”
A spokesperson for the Alliance of British Drivers said: “This is not a sensble move. It is more important that drivers look around them to see what is going on instead of looking at their speedometer.”
The Welsh Government will also bring forward new regulations – sometimes called subordinate legislation – to support schools and teachers to deliver radical changes to Wales’ school curriculum.
The Renting Homes (Wales) Act will be implemented, which aims to improve the rights of people who rent their home, prevent retaliatory eviction, ensure homes are better places to live, and require that tenants are given written contracts.
Legislation will also be introduced to give more support to learners up to the age of 25 with additional learning needs.
The new scheme, which was envisaged by the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act, will ensure children and young people, families and services work better together to focus on learners’ individual needs.
Counsel General, Mick Antoniw announced the plans formally in the Senedd last week. There had been hopes it would include a Clean Air Bill but that was not part of the agenda released at that time.
First Minister Mark Drakeford said: “Our ambitious programme is only the start of the legislative journey in this Senedd.
“Our programme for government, with its focus on a stronger, greener and fairer Wales, sets out our longer term ambitions that require legislation.
“These include abolishing the use of commonly littered, single use plastics; bringing forward our Clean Air Act; and addressing building safety to ensure another Grenfell never happens.”
Mr Antoniw said: “Our focus will be on delivering our legislative programme that is founded on our distinctively Welsh values.
“We will ensure that the new laws work to benefit the people of Wales in their daily lives. In terms of their rights at work, their ability to rent a home and making our streets safer for everyone.”