Trefor and Llanaelhaearn Community Council in Gwynedd, North Wales, has proposed that a new development of 15 affordable homes be reserved for Welsh speakers. The council argues this condition is necessary to preserve the Welsh language in the majority Welsh-speaking village of Trefor, which has a population of just over 1,000.
The planning application, submitted by housing association Grŵp Cynefin, includes a mix of social rented, intermediate affordable rental, and part-ownership properties. The community council has stated it has no objection to the application in principle, provided that residents are required to speak Welsh and that the estate is managed under a lettings policy rather than the standard allocation system.
However, Gwynedd Council officers have warned that a planning condition restricting housing to Welsh speakers would not be lawful. Trefor Council disputes this, citing a legal opinion obtained by the Welsh Language Commissioner that suggests such a condition for social housing would not be illegal. The commissioner has reportedly asked Gwynedd Council and housing associations to consider the issue seriously.
The community council described the proposal as a 'golden opportunity' to be 'truly progressive and innovative' and to preserve 'the soul of our nation.' They have written to planning chiefs urging support for the homes to be allocated to local Welsh speakers. Critics, including a local Welsh businessman who spoke anonymously, warned that this could be a sign of discrimination against English speakers in Wales, especially with nationalist parties potentially gaining power in Cardiff.
