Council pledges to promote Welsh language

Twm Owen – Local democracy reporter

A top councillor has said he regrets his father hadn’t passed his Welsh down to him as he outlined how his authority is promoting the language.

Cwmbran Two Locks councillor Peter Jones was asked how Torfaen Borough Council is promoting use of the language by Ffion Brown a pupil at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw, in Pontypool, which in 2022 became the borough’s first three to 19 school.

The pupil asked the question at the full council’s April 8 meeting where she filled the role of council chief executive as part of the council’s young people’s take over day, with classmates and students from other schools taking on other senior roles.

Cllr Jones said the council has a five point plan that includes promoting Welsh medium education, use of the language in the community, improving the availability and quality of services in Welsh providing opportunities for its workforce to use the language professionally and socially in the workplace.

Cllr Jones said: “My father was part of a Welsh speaking family and couldn’t speak English until he was five years old and I regret he did not the opportunities that exist today to ensure that I learnt the Welsh language.”