Pleas to reduce speed limit on busy road

The speed limit on a busy Monmouthshire road needs reducing immediately before someone is killed, politicians have warned.

Urgent pleas have been made to improve the safety of the A40 at Raglan, with the community council saying it is “deeply concerned” about the number of near misses.

Raglan Community Council has raised concerns over safety on the road, in particular at two points.

These are the road junction crossing the A40 at Raglan between Monmouth Road and Groesenon Road, and an area where pedestrians cross the dual carriageway to visit the castle.

A meeting has recently been held involving MS Peter Fox, Monmouthshire council leader Richard John, Raglan councillor Penny Jones, Raglan Community Council, Mitchel Troy Community Council and residents.

Cllr Adrian Merrett, chairman of the community council, said: “The community of Raglan continues to witness countless near misses and a number of accidents on this stretch of road.

“It is only a matter of time before a fatality occurs at this junction and the public are demanding that action is taken before a tragedy ensues.”

Raglan councillor Penny Jones has called for the Welsh Government to reduce the speed limit from 70mph to 50mph.

“There is a very serious accident waiting to happen and this could be seen as a vital first step towards the prevention of potential fatalities whilst other measures are being considered,” she said.

Peter Fox, MS for Monmouth, said it is feared that other roads coming into full operation could make the issue worse.

“All parties feel this is an outdated road system that is unable to safely cope with increased traffic in 2021,” he said.

“I have heard deeply concerning incidents where people could have been killed by vehicles, and, worse still, there have been recorded fatalities in the past.

“I will be writing jointly with the council leader and stakeholders to the Welsh Government, requesting credible action to make this stretch of road safer.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “We take road safety very seriously and routinely monitor personal injury collision records from the police to identify the need for road safety improvements.

“We plan to carry out a safety study at Dingestow junction during the next financial year and will take into account pedestrian safety at all crossing points on the A40 through Raglan”