20mph speed limits

The change of default speed limit in built up areas took place on 17 September 2023.

This is a Welsh Government National change which all Local Authorities in Wales must comply with.

The legislation change means all roads have automatically defaulted to 20mph. This means that the maximum speed you can legally travel is 20mph. Some roads have remained at 30mph and these will be signed in the same way that roads with higher speed limits are now.

Any signage that is in place indicating a 20mph limit is being removed and there will be no signage in place to remind you of the speed limit – much in the same way as it is in the current 30mph limits.

Over the next few months, you will see the installation of 30mph signage where appropriate.

The Welsh Government and Neath Port Talbot Council are working closely with GoSafe, the organisation responsible for enforcing speeds in Wales to ensure that motorists are aware of the new default limit.

These changes apply across Wales and more information can be found on the Welsh Government 20mph pages.

The project to alter signage is significant and we appreciate your patience whilst this is taking place. There will be a period of ‘snagging’, where signage is checked.

Every council in Wales was asked to collect residents’ feedback on 20mph limits so that we could assess this against revised Welsh Government guidance on setting speed limits

We received 93 comments about streets or roads.

It is important to note that this is not the end of the process, and that there are a number of steps which need to be followed over the next few months.

Assessing the feedback

We will review all the comments we have received and assess them against the guidance. 

When determining whether a street or road should have a higher speed limit, we must be certain that the increase will not have a negative impact on road safety. 

After we have completed our review, we will publish the results. 

We cannot provide individual feedback to every comment we have received.

If the guidance suggests a street or road is not suitable for 30mph, it will stay at 20mph.

If a street or road is suitable for a 30mph speed limit, we will need to create a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO). This is a legal process we must follow to change a speed limit. Every TRO has a public consultation where residents can support or raise concerns. We will publish details of any changes. 

After the TRO consultations, final decisions will be made on any changes.