As the Planning (Wales) Act 2015 comes into force today (4th January) Cymdeithas yr Iaith has said it hopes this will lead to more significant changes in the planning process.

The changes will mean that the Welsh language is a material consideration in planning for the first time.

Elwyn Vaughan, Cymdeithas' spokesperson on Sustainable Communities:
"We are glad that the Welsh language will be a consideration when it comes to housing developments and planning the future of Welsh communities. Cymdeithas yr Iaith has been campaigning for over a quarter century for a new planning system that give the Welsh language status."

The Planning Bill will also require an assessment of the impact of Local Development Plans (LDP) on the Welsh language.

Elwyn Vaughan added:
"While some councils give due consideration to the Welsh language when preparing their LDP, the unfortunate comments by the leader of Cardiff Council have shown the need for a law.
"The housing development overturned in Bangor recently, all the houses that will be built in Carmarthenshire as part of the LDP, and the lack of housing for local young people in a number of villages in Ceredigion shows a need for a Planning Bill which, in the short-term, ensures consideration for the Welsh language but also allows for the transformation of the planning system in the long term in order to meet local demand, so that we have the right housing in the right places when it is needed."