Anglicised village name in planning application ‘an abomination’
Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter
The use of the Anglicised spelling of a village name on a planning application was described as “an abomination” when councillors considered a plan for a bungalow.
Ursula Crouch was granted outline planning permission for a single bungalow in the village of Llandegfedd in the Monmouthshire countryside east of Cwmbran.
But when her application went before Monmouthshire County Council’s planning committee, committee member Emma Bryn was surprised the village was listed as Llandegveth, replacing the “d” and “dd” of the Welsh spelling.
Independent Cllr Bryn, who represents Wyesham, said: “Can I raise the spelling as Llandegveth on this? It’s an abomination. It’s not an official spelling, for anyone searching Llandegfedd on the planning website this wouldn’t come up, it’s not a standardised spelling.”
The spelling was listed as part of the application on the agenda of the August planning committee while the planning officer’s report used the Welsh spelling.
Head of planning Andrew Jones said: “The spelling is based on that supplied on the application form, that’s what was put on the application form.”
Mr Jones said the council would need to seek the agreement of an applicant to change information, including the description of a proposed development, from the wording used by them on their application form.
The committee was told nine objections from her neighbours had related to the original proposal for two bungalows on a paddock next to Ty Bach at Church Road and between an existing house and bungalow near the village church.
Planning officer Kate Bingham said reducing the proposed development to one building had overcome many of the issues raised in those objections but there was still concern at potential overlooking and privacy and surface water drainage.
Ms Bingham said while the final design and location of the bungalow within the plot will be decided at the reserved matters stage the council is confident appropriate distances can be maintained. She also said the maximum height of 4.5 metres for the bungalow will have to be adhered to.
The bungalow will have its own private treatment plant and a condition on discharge of foul water, as requested by Welsh Water, was added to the permission while the application had also demonstrated the separate permission required for surface water drainage is achievable.
Cllr Bryn had also asked if permitted development rights, which could allow extensions to be approved without a new planning application, should be removed as the site was considered unsuitable for two properties but Mr Jones said that would be better addressed when the final application is considered.
Llangybi Fawr Conservative councillor Fay Bromfield, whose ward includes Llandegfedd, had asked for assurances amenity and drainage had been considered.
The application was approved unanimously.
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Bloody ridiculous. Some people are still chipping away at the Welsh language with their stupid pronunciations and meaningless Anglicised spelling. Can you imagine the outrage if we, the Cymry, started changing English placenames just to suit ourselves!! They have lived next door to us, uninvited, for over a thousand years and they know absolutely zero about us and our language. They know more about other nationalities.
Caer, Lerpwl, Manceinion, Efrog, Rhydychen, Caerlŷr, Caerhirfryn, Henffordd, Caerloyw, Caergaint, Caergrawnt, Bryste, Caerfaddon, Penbedw, Catraeth, Llwydlo, Croesoswallt, Amwythig, Llundain.
What’s your point Deiniol? None of those names appear on maps, road signs or anywhere else. They only exist in the minds of Welsh people.
My point is a simple and obvious one. The vast majority of Welsh people (over 80%) are English-speaking. That’s why most Welsh towns and cities are known by their English names.
That’s why English is on maps, road signs, or anywhere else.
Some will dream of people in Northeast Wales saying Yr Wyddgrug instead of Mold. And people in Southeast Wales saying Brynbuga instead of Usk. But it is never, ever going to happen. Because their language is not Welsh, it is English.
If Germany had won WW2 we would all be speaking German now but that would be okay as long as it’s not Cymraeg!! The hatred against our native language is unbelievable. If a war broke out between Cymru and Lloegr most of the Cymry would want to fight for Lloegr.
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Er you have, especially along the borders. Towns originally settled by English speakers now have Welsh names many with no or false relationship with the original name.
Yrsiwla Crawts.
How on earth is this newsworthy? A comment from an insignificant councillor on the mis-spelling of a place on a planning application for a bungalow.
And yet you commented on it!😂
Not sure I would call it an abomination. More likely an attempt to avoid objections on the basis it is more difficult to find on the planning portal.
Linguistic cleansing carries on quietly in the background and bit by bit we lose our language and culture.
Don’t disagree with the councillor but sadly this sort of nonsense is everywhere and we’ve just allowed it to happen. We should be moving to eradicate all of the English place names we’ve accepted. Most are used in preference to the Cymraeg.