UK Councils Spend £42M on 20mph Limits, Reversing Hundreds of Roads

British councils have spent approximately £41.9 million introducing 20mph speed limits since 2023, with expenditures rising annually. However, the implementation has been met with reversals in some areas, leading to 174 roads returning to 30mph restrictions.

The data, gathered by Confused.com through a Freedom of Information request, indicates that spending on 20mph zones reached £16.7 million in the 2025-26 financial year, the highest total over the past three years. Despite this investment, a significant number of roads, primarily in Wales, have seen their speed limits reverted.

Flintshire in Wales has been the most prominent area for these reversals, undoing 20mph limits on nearly 50 roads after having previously spent over £1.79 million on their introduction. Overall, 92 percent of roads where 20mph limits have been reversed are located in Wales. Other Welsh authorities such as the Isle of Anglesey and Newport have also reversed dozens of lower speed limits.

Outside of Wales, fewer councils have rolled back these measures. Perth and Kinross in Scotland has reverted eight roads, and Southampton in England has done so on four.

Highest Spending Councils

Hertfordshire Council emerged as the top spender, allocating £4,644,924 for 20mph limit conversions between the 2023-24 and 2025-26 financial years. Oxfordshire followed with £3,029,200, and Cornwall spent £2,664,026. Other significant spenders include Neath Port Talbot, Aberdeenshire, Cardiff, Swansea, Flintshire, Redbridge, and Newham.

More than 30 percent of roads in British towns and cities were subject to 20mph limits as of last year. The implementation varies across the UK. In Wales, 20mph became the default on most urban roads in 2023. Scotland is implementing them gradually under a national strategy introduced in 2024. England does not have a national policy, with limits introduced on a council-by-council basis, as seen in areas like Cornwall, Oxfordshire, and several London boroughs. Northern Ireland's 20mph limits are currently concentrated near schools, with broader residential use under consideration.

Several areas are still considering or proposing new 20mph zones. Bristol is reviewing plans for 20mph limits on 90 streets, which would encompass 56 miles of road and are intended to reduce road casualties. Wokingham in Berkshire is consulting residents on proposals for mixed 20mph and 30mph limits. Greenwich is progressing with statutory consultation for a borough-wide 20mph limit on council-managed roads, excluding A-roads and TfL Red Routes.