Fury as English audio system banned from new plans for lovely Welsh property | UK | News | EUROtoday

A brand new council property solely for Welsh audio system has been proposed in Wales. Trefor and Llanaelhaearn neighborhood council stated it will again plans for 15 inexpensive houses on the North Wales coast in the event that they have been reserved for individuals who can communicate the mom tongue, to assist protect “the soul of our nation”.

Housing affiliation Grŵp Cynefin requested the construct in Trefor village, Gwynedd, a area with the very best proportion of Welsh audio system in Wales. The 2021 Census revealed 64.4% of its 120,000 residents aged 3 or older might communicate Welsh. However, it has not been met with open arms throughout the board. Reform Wales argued that houses needs to be for all Welsh folks, no matter “whether they speak Welsh or English”.

Malcolm Evans, a Welsh speaker amongst Trefor’s 1,000 residents, thought the concept could be standard, however he instructed the BBC it may very well be divisive, including: “I think it will be unfair on some people.”

While the plan could also be divisive, it isn’t illegal. The neighborhood council confirmed it has written to planning chiefs at Gwynedd council to again the proposal.

Trefor and Llanaelhaearn council stated: “We understand that the Welsh language commissioner has received a legal opinion, which states unequivocally that it would not be illegal to make ‘able to speak Welsh’ a condition for the letting of social housing.”

The neighborhood council described it as a “golden opportunity to be truly progressive and innovative” by being the primary planning authority in Wales to impose a language situation on a brand new social housing property.

It added: “This can give a decisive and solid start to the preservation of the soul of our nation and the few remaining fragile areas.

“We beg in your willingness to take action and to point out our those that Cyngor Gwynedd’s mission for our language is real, honest and uncompromising.”

The plans state there would be a mix of “fully affordable” homes, including social rented, intermediate affordable rental and part ownership.

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Osian Llywelyn, the deputy Welsh language commissioner, stressed that while it was not unlawful to have a language condition, it cannot override need, such as prioritising homeless applicants.

Wales is actively working to increase the number of Welsh speakers through the Cymraeg 2050 strategy, which aims to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, nearly double the current rate.

The minister’s foreword in the strategy states: “The Welsh language is among the treasures of Wales. It is a part of what defines us as folks and as a nation.”

Key methods include mandatory Welsh-medium education, promoting use in the workplace, investing in digital infrastructure, and supporting community initiatives.

The 2021 Census showed the number of Welsh speakers had decreased slightly since the 2011 Census, to 538,300 residents aged three or older, equivalent to 17.8% of the population.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “We can affirm that Gwynedd Council’s Planning Service has acquired an software to construct 15 inexpensive houses in Trefor.

“The report that will be presented to the committee takes into consideration all the planning comments that were received as part of the public consultation and the matter will be discussed by the planning committee on Monday, 2 March.”