21-home development ‘won’t cause decline in Welsh speakers’

A DEVELOPER planning to build 21 homes in a rural Denbighshire village says the development won’t cause a decline in the Welsh language.

Roberts Homes has submitted a planning application for the homes on land adjacent to Paradwys, west of the B5429, in Graigfechan, a village three miles from Ruthin.

The Ruthin-based developer wants to build the homes, which will feature ‘red facing brickwork, buff facing brickwork and part white render’ on the 0.71 hectres of green land.

The land is allocated for 10 houses in Denbighshire’s local development plan, which was adopted in 2013.

Outline planning permission was already granted for nine homes in 2017 with all matters being agreed apart from access; however, the time limit has now elapsed, and the developer has submitted a new application with an increased number of homes.

The latest plans also include vehicle access.

A community linguistic report was also carried out, revealing the number of Welsh speakers in the area was also dropping.

A census of the population revealed 24.6% of the local population could speak Welsh, compared to an average of 19% of the national population. But the census also revealed that 18.7% of Denbighshire’s population could speak, read and write Welsh, but this figure was 20.7% in 2001, indicating a gradual decline.

But a report said the development was unlikely to cause a decline in the use of the Welsh language. The report concluded: “There is no reason why the development might lead to existing Welsh-speaking businesses in the vicinity closing down. If anything, the introduction of new people to the area should have a positive impact on supporting all existing businesses in the locality.”

An independent report by SCP, a specialist in transportation, planning and infrastructure, concluded there is no highway or transport-related reason to withhold planning permission for the scheme.

An ecology report also added that there would be no significant impact on protected or notable wildlife species, and Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust said they had no objections to the plans.

The planning application will now go before Denbighshire County Council’s planning committee where it will be debated before a decision is made.