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.