Sign up to FREE email alerts from NorthWalesLive - Anglesey News Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Invalid Email

Builders who want to create developments of five or more homes could be forced to assess the impact on the Welsh language before planning permission is given.

At a meeting in Llangefni this morning, members of Anglesey and Gwynedd’s Joint Planning Policy Committee resolved to seek Welsh Government guidance if they can bolster the Joint Local Development Plan.

The plan, which was separately ratified by both authorities last year, proposes where up to 7,184 new homes should be build across Gwynedd and Anglesey in the period up to 2026.

But members of Gwynedd Council’s Scrutiny Working Group on Planning and the Welsh Language, urged the joint committee to adopt further measures that would result in any developments of five or more homes in rural areas and 10 or more in more urban areas, having to hold a public consultation and include a language impact assessment as part of the application.

As part of the already adopted plan, public consultations before submitting a planning application are only mandatory in developments of 10 or more homes and the necessity of language impact assessments depend on the nature of the development.

Cllr Seimon Glyn, who chairs the working group, said: “I understand that when the Joint Local Development Plan was adopted, there were strong feelings on both sides of the argument.

“But there is real concern that if things continue as they are, the percentage of Welsh speakers in Gwynedd will end up hovering over the 50% mark, which is already the situation on Anglesey and could get worse.

“Planning alone isn’t enough to stem the flow of course, but that’s what we’re discussing now and I urge the committee to take on board our recommendations.

“It is possible to change policy, nothing has to be set in stone.”

But while planning officers for both authorities pointed out that there was provision in the adopted development plan for the Welsh language to be used as a relevant planning consideration, most members felt that this did not go far enough.

Planning officer Nia Haf Davies, told members: “There are statutory steps that have to be taken if you want to make changes to the adopted plan.

“This includes annual monitoring of the plan as it is, followed by a statutory review and further consultation.”

“It must be demonstrated why a policy is failing before it can be changed.”

But Cllr Owain Williams responded: “Considering the severity of the situation, I don’t think we can wait.

“The economy is key to the future of the Welsh language, there’s no doubt about that.

“But building five homes in a village of, say 50 people, is a huge development that could potentially have a massive impact on its character.”

Cllr John Pughe Roberts, added: “If the Welsh Government wants to realise its target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050, then they have to be flexible with us.

“The least we can do is ask the Welsh Government in this instance, we have nothing to lose.”

Members resolved to seek further legal advice on the authorities’ Supplementary Planning Guidance before going out to public consultation, while also carrying out further talks with the Welsh Government if their own adaptations can be adopted as part of the plan.

Have your say on this story using the comments section below