Councils spend £42m on 20mph roads, then reverse many

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 13:44 · Archive

UK councils have spent £41.9million introducing 20mph speed limits over three years, but at least 174 roads have already reverted to higher limits.

UK councils have spent £41.9million introducing 20mph speed limits over the past three years, with spending accelerating: £16.7million was spent in 2025-26 alone, the highest annual total. Data obtained by Confused.com through Freedom of Information requests shows that Hertfordshire has been the biggest spender at £4.64million, followed by Oxfordshire at £3million and Cornwall at £2.66million.

Despite this investment, at least 174 roads have already reverted to higher speed limits. The vast majority of these reversals, 92 per cent, occurred in Wales, where 20mph became the default on residential and built-up area roads in 2023. Flintshire in Wales was the largest reverter, rolling back 47 roads despite spending over £1.79million introducing the lower limits. The Isle of Anglesey reversed 27 roads after spending £786,445, and Newport reversed 21 after spending £796,000.

The approaches to 20mph limits differ across the UK. Wales and Scotland funded their rollouts nationally, while England has no national policy and relies on individual councils to choose whether to implement them. Scotland is rolling out limits more gradually under a strategy introduced in 2024, and Northern Ireland mainly applies them outside schools.

Councils spend £42m on 20mph roads, then reverse many — Image: This is Money

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How it is being reported

Councils have spent £42m on 20mph speed limits in three years - only for many to be reversedDespite the sizable outlay, some councils are already undoing the changes, with hundreds of roads reverting to the higher limit enforced previously.This is Money · 23 Oct, 13:23
Councils fork out £4.19million on 20mph roads - with list of biggest spenders revealedThe number of speeding notices has been rising, with police forces handing out 7.5 million notices between the financial years 2023/24 and 2025/26The Mirror · 22 Oct, 16:48

In this story: Hertfordshire · Oxfordshire · Cornwall · Wales · Flintshire · Isle of Anglesey · Newport · Scotland

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