Dyfodol i’r Iaith has called on the Welsh Government to call in the decision by Carmarthenshire Council to build 289 houses at Penybanc, near Ammanford. Members of the movement are concerned that building such a number of houses in an area where there are just 400 houses at present will further weaken the Welsh language in the county.

The Movement has also called on the Government to publish a new Technical Advice Note – TAN 20 – with immediate effect, following the County Council’s decision, especially as the Minister with responsibility for the language, Leighton Andrews, has announced that a Commission will look at the position of Welsh in Carmarthenshire.

“A new and radical TAN 20 is needed to ensure that damaging planning decisions of this kind do not happen,” said Heini Gruffudd, Chair of Dyfodol. “TAN 20 should emphasise unambiguously the responsibility of planning authorities not to undermine Welsh as a community language, and this responsibility should be included on the face of the proposed Planning Bill.”

Dyfodol will be calling for an early meeting with the Minister to discuss this specific issue.