Council calls for ‘Welsh only’ condition attached to social homes in coastal village
Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter
A north Wales council will back plans for a “fully affordable” housing estate in a coastal village only if it’s reserved for people who are “able to speak Welsh”.
Trefor and Llanaelhaearn Community Council wants a language condition included before it gives its full approval to a bid by Grŵp Cynefin to build 15 affordable homes on land adjacent to Llys yr Eifl, in the majority Welsh-speaking Gwynedd coastal village of Trefor.
Cyngor Gwynedd is recommending that the development be approved, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement, or a unilateral agreement for an open spaces contribution, during its planning meeting on Monday, March 2.
The application has been made by Owain Williams (Williams Homes (Bala) Ltd.) through the agent Jamie Bradshaw (AXIS PED Ltd).
The plans says that the housing owner Grŵp Cynefin’s intention was to provide a mix of “fully affordable” homes, including social rented, intermediate affordable rental and part ownership.
They include a mix of semi-detached one and two-storey houses and one detached two-storey home, with gardens and parking spaces.
The full application, is on an exception site outside of the development boundary, and includes associated developments, new vehicular access, estate road, landscaping and sustainable surface water drainage area.
During consultation the community council stated it had “no objection to the application per se” with two conditions. They were a Welsh language condition for any residents and it being dealt with under a Local Lettings Policy, with specific letting requirements, rather than the Common Housing Allocation Policy.
The community council, in its formal response, said: “This is a golden opportunity to be truly progressive and innovative by being the first planning authority in Wales to venture to impose a language condition on a new social housing estate, in the heartland of the Welsh language.
“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.
“We also understand that the Commissioner has asked Cyngor Gwynedd, along with Housing Associations operating within the county, to consider this vital issue seriously.”
The community council said it had written to Cyngor Gwynedd’s chief executive Dafydd Gibbard and council leader Cllr Nia Jeffreys, to ask if that opinion had been discussed.
Local Letting Policies , the community council said, were “usually developed where there is a desire to change the balance of a community or to achieve a balanced community at the time when new development is being let.
‘Progressive’
“Cyngor Gwynedd is often proud to announce, if not to boast at times, that it is a progressive council that leads the rest of Wales on the issue of the Welsh language.
“It is our duty to recognise that there is a great deal of truth in that and thank you for your efforts.
“It would be a credit and a precedent for the council itself and an enlightened and long-awaited lead for the rest of Wales.
“By now colleagues, you have the legitimate right, and this has been confirmed by an expert. 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 for your willingness to do so and to show our people that Cyngor Gwynedd’s mission for our language is genuine, sincere and uncompromising”.
It added that it was “unanimous in the view that it will have no objection to the application if the conditions set out are given due regard and support”.
It also requested deferring the application decision until there was “a definite outcome” to the discussion over what had been submitted by the Language Commissioner to Cyngor Gwynedd and housing associations.
The language commissioner (Efa Gruffudd Jones) and the council were approached for comment.
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I think it’s a very risky move, it’s also quite a reformy type of attitude, but I can also see how it could improve the housing situation in areas like this. Learning the language of whichever country one chooses to move to is a very basic level show of respect to your neighbours and the country you’re in. People with manners and respect rarely cause problems on estates or partake in antisocial behaviour so from that point of view I think its positive. Making it the norm rather than the rare would cause issues as the anti Cymru would use… Read more »
The policy would exclude the large majority of the people of Wales, whether born here or elsewhere.
Incorrect. The “large majority of the people of Wales” would be CHOOSING to exclude themselves
Seriously? You want to force the majority of the people of Wales to acquire a language skill in order to have basic rights, when they have busy lives to lead and other quite legitimate priorities? Or do you just want to preserve language-based privileges?
No wonder so many people baulk at the idea of Welsh independence when there are comments like this.Fortunately, most of its advocates have more respect for the people of Wales.
No. There’s no forcing of any kind to any group of people and that has not been implied in any of my comments.
I’m not sure where your independence point comes from, as that’s a completely separate issue and also, not been mentioned.
Every tenancy comes with a contract, it’s law. When a landlord stipulates no pets or no smoking in their terms, do the dog owners and smokers take to the comments sections to vent their outrage? It would appear not.
Learning a language is not like buying a dog. It takes years of effort. That’s why it’s not a ‘choice’ like having a dog or not. How good would someone’s Welsh have to be to qualify to be housed? Would too many anglicisms put a tenancy at risk? Or are the homes only for those who happen to have been born into a Welsh-speaking family? Farage has denounced the Greens for producing a video in Urdu for the Gorton and Denton by-election. Why are you waging the same culture war as Reform, seeking to discriminate against those who speak another… Read more »
Da iawn Cyngor Trefor. Mae angen hyn mewn sawl lle yng Nghymru a hefyd angen rheol blaenoriaeth tai i bobol Cymru dros Cymru yn gyffredinol hefyd This is a much needed rule for areas of Wales. Also needs to be priority for all the people of Wales for most new & social housing in general wherever they may live in Wales and whatever language they speak. Let’s do this Ironically many within the new emerging rational English patriotism movement will agree and support this policy as there will be similar situations in many areas of England where English now may… Read more »
We can only hope that more housing associations follow suit. Especially the border areas such as Monmouthshire.