‘Unanimous’ support for Tryweryn second home and house price protest

Language campaigners say they have met with “unanimous support” by elected leaders for their protest at the Tryweryn dam in a month’s time.

On Saturday 10 July hundreds of supporters of the ‘Wales is not for Sale’ campaign will form a human dam as a symbol of their commitment to preventing the collapse of Wales’ communities.

The rally organised by Cymdeithas yr Iaith will call on the Welsh Government to give powers to local authorities to control the housing market.

“It is unlikely that any event or campaign by Cymdeithas yr Iaith has generated such support in our communities,” Osian Jones from the campaign group said.

He said that the campaign had already attracted the pledged support of Dwyfor Meirionnydd’s Senedd Member, Mabon ap Gwynfor, and all other layers of governance in the area:

• Dyfrig Siencyn, The Leader of Cyngor Gwynedd
• Dyfed Edwards, his predecessor
• Elwyn Edwards, councillor for Bro Tryweryn
• Alwyn Jones, on behalf of Llandderfel Community Council
• Dewi Wyn Jones and Cllr. Beryl Griffiths, on behalf of Llanuwchllyn Community Council
• Euros Puw, on behalf of Llanycil Community Council

‘Activity’

Those present will sign a statement calling on the Government to take “urgent and radical action” to ensure that local communities are able to control the housing market and the planning process to secure homes for their people, Osian Jones said.

“We expect and trust that, after the years of effort and campaigning, the Welsh Government will now take urgent and radical action to tackle this crisis that prevents people from having homes in their own communities,” he added.

The First Minister Mark Drakeford has said that the Welsh Government is likely to announce some proposals on housing by the end of the month.

Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday Supplement programme on Sunday, the First Minister said that he “expects the Cabinet to have a paper before the end of this month drawing together all those ideas and giving us some practical proposals to consider”.

“Some listeners will know that an important report on this whole issue was published in March by Dr. Simon Brooks in Swansea University.

“We hope to respond to that report this month as well, and make a series of recommendations aimed at not just the Welsh Government but local authorities as well.

“So there’s a lot of activity going on in this area. What I said in my first speech in the Senedd was nobody has a monopoly of ideas or wisdom on this topic, and when we come forward with our proposals we’ll want to discuss them with others.

“And see if there are any other ideas that we could add to that repertoire, to strengthen the protections that are available in those local communities where, if we’re not careful, people who were born, brought up, and want to make their futures in those parts of Wales, simply find that that’s not possible for them.”

Cymdeithas yr Iaith will hold its ‘Wales is not for sale’ rally on the Trywern dam at 13:00, Saturday 10th July.