Doubts about Nuclear station's language impact study

Llun Menna gwe.jpgCampaigners have raised doubts about the language impact study that's been commissioned into building the proposed new nuclear power station on Ynys Môn.The fears follow news that the company which is developing Wylfa B, Horizon, decided itself who was to carry out the study, rather than planning authorities Language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society, has also queried the fact that the developers are funding the language impact assessment themselves, arguing it threatens the independence of the research.The pressure group has also written to the company employed by the developers to conduct the study, CDN Planning, to ask why their website is in only available in English.The campaigners are holding a rally at the start of the new year (21st January 2012) in Llangefni to highlight fears about the new nuclear power station.Menna Machreth, Gwynedd-Môn regional spokesperson for Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said: "If it's true that the developers are funding this language impact study, then it would be shameful. Assessments of the impact of developments such as Wylfa B on the Welsh language should be completely impartial. It's timepeople woke up and realised how detrimental this development will be to theWelsh language in Anglesey and Gwynedd. There have already been allegationsthat company behind the development, Horizon, has been 'bullying' farmers inthe area to sell land to them, and we should give our full support to thefamily at Caerdegog who have refused to sell the land they have farmed forgenerations."We have been given to understand that up to three quarters of the jobsconnected with the new power station on Anglesey will go to people fromoutside north Wales. Thousands of new houses will also be built on theisland as a result of the development. Why slavishly accept theseWestminster plans when we could use our imagination and set about creatingour own greener economy?"Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg will be writing to the Welsh Government askingthem to change the rules which permit developers to commission and pay forlanguage impact assessments of their own developments.