Four Cardiff roads are set to return to their original 30mph speed limit following a review of the Welsh Government's default 20mph scheme. The affected routes are sections of Newport Road, Western Avenue, Ocean Way, and Hadfield Road, where changes to signs, street lighting, and resurfacing works will be carried out. Work is due to begin later this week.
Details of the changes
Newport Road will revert to 30mph for its entire length, except near St Illtyd's Catholic School, where the 20mph limit will remain to protect students and pedestrians. On Western Avenue, a section west of the Taff River Bridge will return to 30mph. Hadfield Road will also revert to 30mph between its junctions with Leckwith Road and Penarth Road.
On Ocean Way, the speed limit will increase from its junction with Beignon Close to Rover Way, but the road next to the Ocean Park Sports Complex will stay at 20mph.
Council response
Cllr Dan De'Ath, the city's cabinet member for transport, said: "Following our extensive review of public feedback on the Default 20mph Scheme, the Traffic Regulation Orders have now been legally sealed, and work will begin next week to implement the 30mph speed limits on these four routes."
He added: "The 20mph policy is making our roads safer, particularly in residential areas and around schools, where lower speeds help reduce the risk and severity of collisions. The vast majority of Cardiff's 20mph roads will remain unchanged because they continue to be the right speed limits for those communities. These changes show the review process working as intended, allowing councils to consider local circumstances and ensure we have the right speed limits on the right roads."
Background
Cardiff Council announced in March 2025 that some roads would revert to 30mph after the Welsh Government gave local councils more flexibility to assess specific routes in July 2024. The council conducted a consultation asking residents which roads should be considered for a return to 30mph, receiving 933 requests during the national 'listening' exercise between April and the end of August 2024.
The review involved the public, bus companies, local councillors, MPs, MSs, and other city stakeholders.
