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On Thursday 5 January, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner Andy Dunbobbin met Councillor Gwennol Ellis, who represents Uwchaled Ward on Conwy County Borough Council, to discuss road safety issues in Glasfryn, Cerrigydrudion and the campaign by local residents to reduce the speed limit on the A5 through the village. The PCC and Cllr Ellis walked the stretch of the road through the village from the Old Post Office Bus Stop to the former Ty’n y Felin School to understand the problems with speeding affecting residents.
The current speed limit is 60mph, but residents want to see that figure reduced to 30mph. There are currently average speed limit cameras located at either end of the village as part of the ‘Evo Triangle’ speed reduction campaign. But Councillor Ellis and local campaigners do not believe this is sufficient to stop cars travelling through the village at high speed and they are concerned that there may well be a serious or fatal accident. The road is also a school pickup point for local children, and this naturally poses extra concerns around safety for people living in the area.
The visit by the PCC followed a prior meeting on 25 November last year where Councillor Ellis highlighted the problems with speeding in the community and suggested the PCC visit to see first-hand the issues around road safety experienced by the local community.
Given the stretch of highway is a trunk road, the local authority, Conwy County Borough Council, has no jurisdiction in amending the speed limit, which lies with the Welsh Government. Councillor Ellis has contacted the Welsh Government directly requesting for the road to be reassessed. However, Government responded prior to Christmas that they believe the current speed limit in the village is suitable. Councillor Ellis, on behalf of residents, reiterated to the Commissioner their determination to continue with their campaign.
Andy Dunbobbin, Police and Crime Commissioner for North Wales, commented: “I was pleased to accept Councillor Ellis’ invitation to visit Glasfryn to see for myself the problems that local residents are experiencing with cars travelling through the village, and to hear more about their campaign for the speed limit to be lowered from 60mph to 30mph – a campaign that I support.
“I am the first PCC to have included improving road safety as a standalone pledge in my Police and Crime Plan and I believe it is always important to listen carefully to local residents’ concerns and to understand their real-life experience of how speeding traffic affects them. This is all the more important in rural areas, where roads might be quieter, police can be further away, and where road users might be tempted to go faster. I would urge Welsh Government to listen again to the concerns of the residents of Glasfryn and review their decision not to lower the speed limit.”
Councillor Gwennol Ellis, Uwchaled, Conwy County Borough Council, commented: “The concern of local residents is that this stretch of the A5 is an accident waiting to happen. Welsh Government has said that if there is a fatality, they will review the situation. But we are not willing to wait for that to happen. There are families with children living here and I know that there are some residents who are afraid for their lives given the speed some cars currently travel through the village. We’d like to see the speed limit go down to 30mph, as with other villages on the A5, and we won’t rest until we see this happen.”
The public can support the campaign by signing a petition to Welsh Government: Lower the speed limit on the A5 through Glasfryn - Petitions (senedd.wales)