Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, together with the action group Save Penrhos, has
sent a formal letter to Planning Minister Carl Sargeant asking him to call in
the decision by Anglesey County Council planning committee to grant planning
permission to Land & Lakes to build holiday homes in Penrhos.

Anglesey County Council planning committee decided to grant  planning approval
in a meeting on November 6th, even though the committee had decided to refuse it
in a meeting a month earlier, because granting approval would mean, the
over-development of a rural area, and building in an Area of Outstanding Natural
Beauty.

Osian Jones, northern organiser for Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, commented: “A
lot of questions have not been answered regarding this controversial planning
application. Firstly we cannot believe that a council that states that it's
serious about safeguarding the future of the Welsh language, could allow a
development such as this without insisting on an independent language impact
assessment.”

“We are amazed the council can behave in such a way, especially in light of the
shocking Census results last year, which showed a dramatic fall in the number of
Welsh speakers on the island.”

“It shows the planning committee has absolutely no understanding of
sociolinguistic matters, and how it is vital to plan an economy which safeguards
the Welsh language and works for the benefit of communities, instead of large
companies from outside Wales.”

Hilary Patterson-Jones from Save Penrhos commented: “By granting this planning
application, Anglesey County Council has ignored and broken eleven planning
policies, this is unacceptable, especially with the council's record. National
planning policies are there for a reason, after a long process of public
consultation. I can’t believe that the planning committee ignored these
policies, and could not see that there would be serious questions about their
judgment, by granting this application.”

“Allowing development in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty makes a mockery
of our national planning policy, and breaks one of the fundamental rules of
national policy: tthe planning system should safeguard our natural environment.
Giving Land & Lakes planning permission goes against this.

“This is why we are demanding that Carl Sargeant, the minister responsible for
planning at the Welsh Government calls this decision in for a comprehensive
review, because we believe that granting permission brings national planning
policy into disrepute.”