Dyfodol i’r Iaith are holding a public meeting on the National Eisteddfod field in Denbigh on Tuesday 6th August at 4pm in Societies Pavilion 1.

Solicitor Emyr Lewis, one of Dyfodol’s directors, will be delivering a speech on “Planning and the Welsh Language”

Emyr Lewis says that a strong foundation to protect the Welsh language must be included on the face of the Planning Bill, which is likely to be proposed by the Welsh Government in the next assembly session. 

Mr Lewis said:  “There is a general consensus for the need to promote and protect the Welsh as a community language. If we accept that planning can have an impact, good or bad, on the language, then we need a much stronger foundation than TAN 20 if we are serios about this issue. It is only a guide, and a pretty vague guide too.”

“The purpose of planning law is to control the developlement of land by weighing wider considerations alongside the free market. The wellbeing of the Welsh language needs to be one of those considerations and there must be appropriate pressure to protect the wellbeing of the Welsh language in planning matters.” said Emyr Lewis.

Dyfodol is calling for the new TAN 20 to have statutory powers under the Planning Act. The Technical Advice Note also needs to include standard methodology and guidelines to enable local authrorities to measure the impact of any potential development on the Welsh language.