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There are fears for the future of the Welsh language in a small village after plans for a new housing development in a field were approved.

Plans for 33 new homes to be built in Llanrhaeadr-yng-Nghinmeirch have been submitted to the local council on land which is a stone’s throw from the site of 15 other new homes which are already under construction.

The proposals were given the green light at a planning committee meeting on Wednesday morning, even though concerns have been raised that an influx of new residents in the village, which has a current population of just over 1,800 people, will damage the Welsh speaking community.

​The village itself is known as something of a Welsh stronghold, with more than half its inhabitants able to speak the language. Between 2001 and 2011, there was a drop of 9% in the number of Welsh speakers in the area.

But, according to the 2011 census, 50.03% of residents aged three or over still used Welsh as their main language. The new housing development will see that reduced, it is claimed, to 49%, tipping the balance from a Welsh speaking perspective from a majority to a minority for the first time.

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At Wednesday morning’s planning committee, 11 voted in favour, seven voted against, while one committee member abstained when asked to vote on plans that will see the houses built on the field in Denbighshire.

One councillor who spoke against the plans at the meeting is Joe Welch, chair of the planning committee at Denbighshire Council.

“This area is one of a few in Wales that has more than 50% of its residents speaking regularly in Welsh," he said.

"The company that submitted the plans has admitted that the number of Welsh speakers is going to go down in Llanrhaeadr - they say the figure will go down from 50.03% to just over 49%. It’s only a 1% decrease but in my opinion it is a crucial 1%.

“More consideration should be given to the Welsh language to ensure that this majority is kept, and of course one of the best ways of getting more Welsh speakers is through education. The local primary school - Ysgol Bro Cinmeirch - is already nearly full, so it will not be able to accommodate an influx of new pupils.

“That means that children living in the village will have to go to school elsewhere, so whether that is to be taught in the medium of Welsh or English, they will be taught outside the community.

“A 1% drop may not seem huge; if it was 75% going down to 74%, that would still be a concern, but from over 50% to under 50% means a majority Welsh speaking village becomes a minority Welsh speaking village.”

(Image: Google)

There are also concerns beyond the potential detrimental effect the 33 new houses could have on the Welsh language, as one resident explains.

“I live in the middle of the village and near to where the new houses are going to be built,” said Elfed Williams, chair of the local community council.

“This idea has proved to be very unpopular here. It went in front of the community council and the opposition was unanimous. On top of that, a number of other residents have opposed the plan.

“There are 15 houses already under construction across the road, meaning that there will be almost 50 new homes in the village within a few years, all off the A525, which is a main trunk road through the Clwyd area.

“It’s already a really busy road, especially in the morning and between 4pm and 5.30pm, and this new development means there will be about five entrances onto the road within about 300 or 400 yards, and there have already been a number of accidents on the road since I’ve lived here.”

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Cadnant Planning, who submitted the planning application on behalf of the landowner, say that affordable housing will form part of the development, and that a number of different properties will be available at the site which will provide for the needs of the local community.

Sioned Edwards from Cadnant told the BBC: “It’s important to note that, between 2001 and 2011, the population of Llanrhaeadr reduced.

“Population growth is a part of creating prosperity in villages and communities that are sustainable. Therefore we have to accept that there is a need to develop houses that will provide for young people.”

Mr Williams thinks the development will shift the dynamic in his village, and lead the community to a point of no return.

“We do have a vibrant community and my concern is that the new estate will become isolated,” he said.

“There is no room in the local school for any more children so children who move into the new homes will have to go to Denbigh or Ruthin. That means that people moving into the area will not be able to feel a part of the community.

“The likelihood is that they will be mostly English speakers, and we are talking about one of the only areas in county where Welsh is still a majority language and if you go past that tipping point it’s very difficult to come back.

“There is a village feel here and it’s a good community. This will change the dynamic of the linguistics and the whole feel of the village.”