Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg has welcomed news that the Welsh language can now be a legal reason for councillors to reject or approve planning applications following a vote in the Assembly on the Planning Bill today (Tuesday, 5th May. 



Jamie Bevan, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, who has been fasting with over thirty other members of the language group for changes to the legislation, commented:



"It’s good that some of our demands have been adopted by the Assembly today, but it is disappointing that the Government has not accepted all the cross-party recommendations. We are very pleased that the Welsh language is now a statutory consideration in the planning system, but that new element will not work well without language impact assessments on individual applications. It will be essential for councillors to get the firm evidence on which to base their decisions. We will be asking for a meeting with Welsh Government officers and county councils to discuss how to implement these new provisions properly. TAN 20 - the present guidelines - will need rewriting following the vote today.  



"We’re very surprised that the Labour party has acted as a conservative force in terms of this legislation - they've ignored the cross-party consensus to prioritise the Welsh language rather than large developers' profits. However, we do hope that all the parties in the Assembly will act on more of our calls through further legislation and regulations in the next months and years."