Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg have strongly criticised the conclusion of the Public Enquiry held into Ceredigion Council's Unitary Develpoment Plan. Cymdeithas believe that the perception of the inspectors - Mr Alwyn Nixon a Ms Stephanie Chivers - shows a basic failure of the present planning system to efficiently deal with the needs of the Welsh Language.

The Inspectors' Report will be discussed at a full meeting held at Aberaeron this Morning (February 23rd 2006). Dafydd Morgan Lewis, Cymdeithas spokesperson said:"The UDP proposes giving planning permission for about 5,000 houses. This is a policy that has been formed without detailed research into the local demand for housing, yet the Inspectors see nothing wrong in this.""We believe that the Inspector's failure to deal efficiently with such basic weaknesses reflects a weakness which runs through the whole planning system. It is unlikely that there has been such an enquiry, focussing so much on the needs of the Welsh Language. And yet, the Inspectors have not succeeded in giving fair consideration to the language's needs.""Indeed, we saw how peripheral the language was to the priorities of the Enquiry during the very first week. At that time, the Inspectors saw fit to send out English only documents - including the all-important evidence papers - to everybody who were going to take part. Considering the fact that the Enquiry's leaders did not see it important enough to take the simple step of providing bilingual evidence material, it is no surprise that the language was also peripheral in their judgement of controversial matters in the planning field.""In the wake of this Report, the Assembly Government should immediately review the planning guidelines in order to ensure that local authorities give full consideration to the needs of the Welsh Language while preparing such county plans. Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg will now proceed to present this demand to Carwyn Jones the minister responsible for planning matters."