CHANGES to speed limits on a series of roads across Neath Port Talbot have been given the go-ahead despite opposition from some local residents.
The approval for changes which came at a council cabinet meeting on July 10, will see the speed limits altered on five of the borough’s roads with “buffer” speed limits being introduced to lower the speeds of vehicles before they enter the 20mph areas.
It means that in a number of areas where 60mph roads lead directly into a 20mph road, certain stretches will be lowered to either 30 or 40mph in order to “deter heavy braking which could in turn lead to collisions.”
It comes after The Welsh Government implemented the national roll out of a new default speed limit of 20mph across Wales in September, 2023, instead of the previous 30mph limit.
The latest changes will come to stretches of five Neath Port Talbot roads where the speed limit is 60mph, including on the Cymmer Road from Cymmer to Glyncorrwg where a buffer speed limit of 40mph will be introduced before the existing 20mph zone, as well as on the B4242 Neath road to Abergarwed.
There will also be a series of 30mph buffer limits introduced on Duffryn Road and Longford Road leading to Farmers Road near Bryncoch, along with another 30mph zone on Gilfach road near Bryncoch.
While the changes were approved unanimously by members in attendance at the meeting, it was noted in the report that a number of objections were given by residents during consultation, who felt the move would result in increased travel times on journeys, as well as potential increases to vehicle emissions.
Officers however responded by saying that there was no evidence to suggest pollution levels would increase because of the change, adding that when it came to journey times, as the roads under consideration were country lanes, most of the traffic would already be travelling below the legal speed limit on these sections of the road.
