Matthew James Rouch · Prevention of Future Deaths report

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Issued 24 Oct 2022•South Wales Central

Published report and response evidence

This report’s concerns and statements found in recipients’ published responses. Statements are included even where no link to an individual concern is recorded. A link shows an evidence connection; it does not assign responsibility.

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Concerns
2

Raised in this report

Recipients
1

Named on the report

Responses found
1

Of 1 recipient

Stated actions
6

Described in responses

Recipients and published responses

Full report text

This is the full text from the original published report.

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Concerns and recipient responses

Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

Concerns raised2

  1. Failure to ensure drivers slow down when approaching the A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’ from every direction
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate speed control at hazardous road locations
  2. Lack of road-user awareness of the A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’
    Part of recurring concern: Inadequate safety controls at high-risk road junctions

Stated actions An action is something a recipient says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to a concern raised.6

  1. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Complete independent staged road safety audits of the roundabout scheme, including post-opening daytime and night-time assessments.

  2. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Publish a Traffic Regulation Order proposing reduced speed limits on the A48 Cowbridge bypass and approaches to the roundabout.

  3. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Replace undersized chevron warning signs with enlarged signs featuring yellow borders.

  4. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Relocate the obstructing warning sign to clear the lower half of the eastbound advanced directional sign.

  5. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Add lane-direction arrow markings on the westbound approach to reduce sudden lane changing.

  6. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Install 50mph speed-limit signs before removing temporary traffic management.

Respondent positions A position is what a recipient says about a concern when it does not describe a specific action.3

  1. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Implementation of new speed-restriction signage is subject to identifying available budget because estimated costs exceed £100,000.

    Unable to actThe respondent said that a constraint prevented them from taking the relevant action.
  2. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    The Council disputes that the junction is dangerous or that deaths may occur without changes to reduce approach speeds.

    Disputes the concernThe respondent disagreed with part of the concern or the basis for it.
  3. Vale of Glamorgan Council

    Existing design, signage and road-safety audit measures are considered sufficient to make the junction safe for its intended purpose.

    Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.

Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Failure to ensure drivers slow down when approaching the A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’ from every direction

Wider context from the report

“(1) The A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’ seems to be dangerous. (2) Unless changes are made to make all road users more aware of this junction and to slow down drivers approaching it from every direction, more deaths may occur. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate speed control at hazardous road locations.

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Source evidence

How this individual concern was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below. Response links show a clear evidence connection; they do not assign responsibility.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Lack of road-user awareness of the A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’

Wider context from the report

“(1) The A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’ seems to be dangerous. (2) Unless changes are made to make all road users more aware of this junction and to slow down drivers approaching it from every direction, more deaths may occur. ”

Is this part of a recurring concern?

Yes — Inadequate safety controls at high-risk road junctions.

Open source report

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Complete independent staged road safety audits of the roundabout scheme, including post-opening daytime and night-time assessments.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The scheme design and construction has been the subject of a full Road Safety Audit (RSA) process, carried out by an independent specialist consultant approved by the Council in accordance with DMRB document GG119 ‘Road safety audit’ (formerly HD 19/15). This process includes RSA’s at completion of detail design stage (RSA Stage 2); completion of construction (RSA Stage 3); and post opening monitoring (RSA Stage 4a) – copies attached for inspection. The Stage 3 and 4a RSA comprised both a daytime and night-time site survey which was conducted by the independent Audit team and attended by the South Wales Police Roads Safety team and an equally qualified and experienced traffic engineer representing the Highways and Engineering team from the Vale of Glamorgan Council.”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Publish a Traffic Regulation Order proposing reduced speed limits on the A48 Cowbridge bypass and approaches to the roundabout.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Notwithstanding the information above, the Council recognises the need to consider appropriate ways to enhance road safety on its existing local highway network and, where possible, measures should be employed to best avoid any deaths or collisions involving serious personal injury. Therefore, subsequent to the fatality on the 29th September, the Council took steps to publish a Legal Order (TRO) with the intention of reducing the speed limit on the A48 Cowbridge bypass from National speed limit to 50mph, and the immediate approaches to the ‘Forage roundabout junction’ to 30mph. Whilst the Order has completed the appropriate legal process, the necessary new signage in accordance with TSRGD and Traffic Signs Manual is estimated to cost over £100k to implement the new speed restriction along the A48, and this work is therefore subject to identifying available budget.”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 3 · response
Published 25 October 2022

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Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Replace undersized chevron warning signs with enlarged signs featuring yellow borders.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Stage 3 RSA’s dated 10th January 2020 identified a number of minor issues in relation to surface water, carriageway surfacing, vehicle and pedestrian restraint barriers, drop kerb crossings and lack of signage associated with the shared cycleway / footway and drainage lagoon, which have subsequently been the subject of remedial works. The Stage 3 RSA also raised more specific concern in relation to the roundabout as identified below:”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Relocate the obstructing warning sign to clear the lower half of the eastbound advanced directional sign.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Stage 4a RSA dated 31st August 2021, which involved a desk top study and a further daytime and night-time site visit, identified only two safety issues as recorded below:”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Add lane-direction arrow markings on the westbound approach to reduce sudden lane changing.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Stage 4a RSA dated 31st August 2021, which involved a desk top study and a further daytime and night-time site visit, identified only two safety issues as recorded below:”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Install 50mph speed-limit signs before removing temporary traffic management.

Verbatim wording from the response

“The Stage 3 RSA’s dated 10th January 2020 identified a number of minor issues in relation to surface water, carriageway surfacing, vehicle and pedestrian restraint barriers, drop kerb crossings and lack of signage associated with the shared cycleway / footway and drainage lagoon, which have subsequently been the subject of remedial works. The Stage 3 RSA also raised more specific concern in relation to the roundabout as identified below:”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Implementation of new speed-restriction signage is subject to identifying available budget because estimated costs exceed £100,000.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Notwithstanding the information above, the Council recognises the need to consider appropriate ways to enhance road safety on its existing local highway network and, where possible, measures should be employed to best avoid any deaths or collisions involving serious personal injury. Therefore, subsequent to the fatality on the 29th September, the Council took steps to publish a Legal Order (TRO) with the intention of reducing the speed limit on the A48 Cowbridge bypass from National speed limit to 50mph, and the immediate approaches to the ‘Forage roundabout junction’ to 30mph. Whilst the Order has completed the appropriate legal process, the necessary new signage in accordance with TSRGD and Traffic Signs Manual is estimated to cost over £100k to implement the new speed restriction along the A48, and this work is therefore subject to identifying available budget.”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 3 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

The Council disputes that the junction is dangerous or that deaths may occur without changes to reduce approach speeds.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Therefore, given the evidence presented above, the Council would dispute that the ‘Forage roundabout junction’ is either dangerous, or unless changes are made to make users aware of the junction and to slow down drivers, more deaths may occur. Furthermore, the Council considers the advanced warning signage to be good and that the junction is safe for all traffic if drivers exercise responsible driving practices and take due care and attention of the provided signs and road markings, as well as comply with their legal obligations and follow the ‘General rules, techniques and advice for all drivers and riders’ (Rule 103 to 158) of the Highway Code.”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 3 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response

Source evidence

How this respondent position was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation

Existing design, signage and road-safety audit measures are considered sufficient to make the junction safe for its intended purpose.

Verbatim wording from the response

“Based on the above information, the Vale Council considers that a robust and appropriate process has been followed regarding the design and construction of the new A48 ‘Forage roundabout junction’, in accordance with all appropriate guidelines and legislation, and that the junction is safe for its intended purpose. Any initial road safety issues have been”

Source location

Response from the Vale of Glamorgan Council
Page 2 · response
Published 25 October 2022

Open published response
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Information checked against the published report and official responses · Data reviewed 7 Sep 2026 · About data quality and limitations

Data last updated 7 September 2026