The speed limit on a three-and-a-half-mile section of a Herefordshire A-road is to be cut – though the higher limit will still apply over the Welsh border.
Herefordshire Council, which is in charge of most of the county’s roads, has approved a new traffic regulation order (TPO) which will drop the speed limit between Winforton near Eardisley to Rhydspence on the Welsh border from the national speed limit of 60mph down to 50mph.
After Eardisley Group Parish Council proposed the measure, county officials met local representatives back in November 2022, when “it was agreed that the existing sections of national speed limit are not appropriate, since they create an inconsistent speed limit along the entirety of the route”, Herefordshire Council said.
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Cutting the speed limit would also protect vehicles pulling onto the A438 from side roads which have limited visibility, it was agreed.
A consultation on the move drew no objections from emergency services, haulage representatives or from the public.
One resident had suggested going further and bringing in a 20mph speed limit within Winforton itself, down from the current 30.
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“However, DfT [Department for Transport] guidance states that 20mph speed limits should not be considered on roads where the movement of motor vehicles is the primary function, as is the case on the A438,” Herefordshire Council said.
The official guidance to councils also “emphasises that a number of changes to the speed limit over a route should be avoided”, and that mix of 50 and 60mph stretches “may lead to confusion amongst drivers”, it added.
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However a spokesperson for neighbouring Powys County Council confirmed that the national speed limit would stay as it is on the Welsh side.
“There are no proposals to change speed limits on the A438 within Powys and [we] are not currently reviewing speed limits,” they said.
The TRO will not come into immediate effect, as it can still be challenged within three months after its publication.
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