'Welsh Assembly does not go to the root of the problem of expensive housing' says Welsh Language Society

[Francis M Hult]

>>From Eurolang

http://www.eurolang.net/news.asp?id=4479

'Welsh Assembly does not go to the root of the problem of expensive housing' says Welsh Language Society'

Abergele 3/22/2004 , by Huw Morgan

The Welsh Assembly Government will help local authorities to formulate plans to show what effect planning decisions
would have on the Welsh language. According to Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society) this is a
positive step forward. The society, along with bodies such as housing associations and national parks authorities, had
offered evidence to the Assembly's planning committee on the housing crisis in rural Wales.

Some authorities - such as Ceredigion and Caerfyrddin [in west Wales] - have prepared plans based on the projected
number of houses needed in the future, including in-migration, without considering the effect on the language, says
Huw Lewis, chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith.

Although there were some good points in the report, added Mr Lewis, we are disappointed that it does not go to the
root of the problem. The society will continue to campaign to change the planning policies and also for substantially
more money for the Homebuy Scheme [which offers grants to local people to buy houses]. There is a need also for more
money to build houses for rent because there is a greater need for these properties now because people cannot buy
their own homes. He added that Cymdeithas yr Iaith will continue to campaign for a Property Act that could intervene
in the housing market for the benefit of local people.

The Assembly's planning minister Carwyn Jones had refused to change the rules that would allow councils to give
planning permission to build affordable houses exclusively for local people. Prices of property have risen in Wales
out of reach of the locals and although this is a huge problem in many areas, it also has a harmful effect on the
Welsh language with young people moving out of the heartlands and English incomers moving in.

Carwyn Jones was responding to the Assembly's Planning Committee's recommendations to tackle this problem. He said,
that although he welcomed most of the committee's recommendations, he refused to make any changes to the planning laws
adding that he was not in favour of experimenting with policies that would give precedence to local people.

The chair of the planning committee, Alun Ffred Jones, Plaid Cymru member for Caernarfon, a Welsh-speaking area where
house prices have increased dramatically over the last few years, said that he was disappointed by this decision. He
said that the minister had refused the most important part of the report, being the one that would allow councils to
have a separate planning policy that would favour local people, running side-by-side with the existing policies.

What we had in mind was a system where - if it could be proved that there was a problem in a certain area and that
cheap land was available either owned by the council or privately - planning permission could be granted to build new
houses for locals only, said Mr Jones.

The answer that we received was that this would create two housing markets. Of course it would, that was the whole
purpose.

He added that three planning authorities in England - Peak District, South Shropshire and North Devon - have taken
this approach. Carwyn Jones added that it was possible for local authorities to use the existing policies to give
permission to build affordable homes. No council has done this yet, they seem to be waiting for one to stick its neck
out. But I believe that this is the way forward.

Pembrokeshire Coast National Park planning authority has tried a similar scheme, but was stopped by the Assembly
Government. But that policy covered the whole of the county, not just areas where there is a specific problem.
Councils would have to prove that there was a need, added Alun Ffred Jones, but that would not be difficult. For
example, in Abersoch [a coastal village in north-west Wales] where houses are very expensive, the local councillor
proved that there were at least ten couples who could not afford to buy a house in the area. If the Assembly allowed
it and if there was cheap land available, then it would be possible to implement this policy there.

In June of this year, the Assembly Government will start looking at the problem of lack of affordable homes and then
start a consultation process in March 2005. Therefore, I foresee that it will be a year after that before we receive a
decision, added Mr Jones. (Eurolang)

Cynulliad ddim yn mynd at wraidd problem tai drud' medd Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg

Mi fydd Llywodraeth Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru yn rhoi cymorth i awdurdodau lleol i baratoi cynlluniau i ddangos
beth fyddai effaith penderfyniadau cynllunio ar yr iaith Gymraeg. Yn ôl Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg mae hwn yn gam
positif. Roedd y Gymdeithas yn un o nifer o gyrff, gan gynnwys cymdeithasau tai ac awdurdodau'r parciau cenedlaethol,
fu'n rhoi tystiolaeth y llynedd i bwyllgor cynllunio'r Cynulliad ar yr argyfwng tai yng nghefn gwlad Cymru.

Yn ôl Huw Lewis, cadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Mae rhai awdurdodau - fel Ceredigion a Chaerfyrddin - wedi bod yn
darparu cynlluniau yn seiliedig ar y nifer dybiedig fyddai angen tai gan gymryd mewnlifiad i ystyriaeth, heb ystyried
yr effaith ar yr iaith.

Ychwanegodd Mr Lewis, er bod yna rai pwyntiau da yn yr adroddiad, mi rydyn ni'n siomedig nad ydy o'n mynd at wraidd y
broblem. Mi fydd y Gymdeithas yn pwyso ymhellach i gael newidiadau i'r drefn gynllunio a hefyd i gael arian sylweddol
i'r Cynllun Cymorth Prynu [sy'n rhoi grantiau i bobl leol i'w helpu i brynu tai]. Mae angen, hefyd, ragor o arian ar
gyfer tai i'w gosod ar rent gan fod yna fwy o alw rwan am dai o'r fath oherwydd fod pobl yn methu prynu tai.
Ychwanegodd y bydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn dal i bwyso i gael Deddf Iaith fyddai'n caniatau ymyrryd yn y farchnad dai
er lles pobl leol.

Roedd Gweinidog Cynllunio y Cynulliad Carwyn Jones wedi gwrthod newid y rheolau fyddai'n galluogi cynghorau i roi
caniatad i godi tai rhad i bobl leol yn benodol. Mae prisiau tai yng Nghymru wedi codi allan o gyrraedd llawer o
drigolion yr ardaloedd gwledig ac er bod hyn yn broblem mewn sawl ardal, yng nghadarnleoedd yr iaith mae hyn yn cael
effaith andwyol ar yr iaith wrth i bobl ifanc symud allan o'r ardaloedd hyn a mewnfudwyr Seisnig yn symud i mewn.

Roedd Carwyn Jones yn ymateb i argymhellion Pwyllgor Cynllunio'r Cynulliad i geisio datrys y broblem yma. Dywedodd, er
ei fod yn croesawu mwyafrif syniadau'r pwyllgor, gwrthododd wneud unrhyw newidiadau i'r rheolau cynllunio gan ddweud
nad oedd o blaid arbrofi gyda pholisïau fyddai'n rhoi blaenoriaeth i bobl leol yn unig.

Dywed cadeirydd y pwyllgor cynllunio Alun Ffred Jones, aelod Plaid Cymru dros Gaernarfon, ardal Gymraeg sydd â
phrisiau tai wedi codi'n sylweddol dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf, ei fod yn siomedig iawn â'r penderfyniad. Dywed fod y
gweinidog wedi gwrthod yr un pwysicaf, sef yr un fyddai'n caniatáu i gynghorau gael trefn gynllunio arwahan fyddai'n
ffafrio pobl leol, ac yn cydredeg â'r drefn bresennol.

Beth oedd ganddon ni mewn golwg oedd trefn lle bod modd - pe gellid profi bod yna broblem mewn ardal benodol a bod yna
dir rhad ar gael unai ym meddiant y cyngor neu dir preifat - rhoi caniatad cynllunio i godi tai newydd a'r rheiny i
bobl leol yn unig, meddai Mr Jones.

Yr ateb gafwyd oedd y byddai hyn yn creu dwy farchnad dai. Wrth gwrs y byddai, dyna yw'r holl bwrpas.

Ychwanega bod tri awdurdod cynllunio yn Lloegr eisoes gyda chynllun tebyg, sef y Peak District, De Sir Amwythig a
Gogledd Dyfnaint. Ychwanegodd Carwyn Jones bod modd i'r awdurdodau lleol ddefnyddio'r rheolau presennol i geisio rhoi
caniatad i dai fforddiadwy. Does yr un cyngor wedi gwneud hyn eto, maen nhw fel petae nhw'n disgwyl i un fentro i
ddechrau. Ond dwi'n credu mai dyma'r ffordd ymlaen.

Mae Pwyllgor Cynllunio Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro wedi ceisio cael cynllun o'r fath, ond bu i Lywodraeth y
Cynulliad ei atal. Ond roedd y cynllun hwnnw ar gyfer yr holl sir, ac nid mewn llefydd lle'r oedd yn angen penodol.
Byddai raid dangos angen, ond fyddai hynny ddim yn anodd, meddai Mr Jones. Er enghraifft, yn Abersoch [pentref ar
arfordir gogledd-orllewin Cymru] ble mae tai'n ddrud iawn, profodd y cynghorydd lleol bod yna o leiaf ddeg cwpwl ifanc
lleol yn methu fforddio prynu tai yn yr ardal. Pe bai'r Cynulliad yn caniatau a bod tir rhad ar gael, yna byddai modd
gweithredu'r cynllun yma yno.

Bydd Llywodraeth y Cynulliad rwan yn edrych ar broblem prinder tai fforddiadwy ym Mehefin eleni ac yn dechrau
ymgynghori ym Mawrth 2005. Felly, dwi'n gweld y bydd hi'n flwyddyn wedi hynny cyn y bydd unrhyw benderfyniad,
ychwanegodd Mr Jones. (Eurolang)