Testun llawn:
Ymateb Rhanbarth Caerfyrddin Cymdeithas yr Iaith i ymgynghoriad ar Gynllun Datblygu Lleol Diwygiedig Adneuo Sir Gaerfyrddin 2018-2033
Sylwadau cychwynnol
Cydnabyddwn fod amcanion y Cynllun Datblygu Lleol Diwygiedig yn uchelgeisiol a bod dyhead y Cyngor Sir i hwyluso creu swyddi o ansawdd uchel yn un clodwiw.
Wedi dweud hynny a wedi dadansoddi’r dogfennau perthnasol, rhaid i ni fynegi pryderon difrifol am effaith y cynllun ar y Gymraeg a rhai o gymunedau ac ardaloedd
Cymreiciaf Sir Gâr.
Credwn nad yw elfennau allweddol o’r cynllun diwygiedig yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth gadarn, a bod tipyn o waith i’w wneud i sicrhau dyfodol hyfyw i’r Gymraeg cyn i’r
Cyngor gyflwyno’r Cynllun Adneuo i’r Llywodraeth. Nid oes unrhyw ddadansoddiad o sut y gall creu nifer sylweddol o swyddi mewn un gornel o’r sir gyflawni’r nod o atal yr
allfudiad difrifol o bobl ifainc o’n cymunedau ledled y sir. Camgymeriad sylfaenol yw fod y Cynllun yn trin adfywiad economaidd ac adfywiad iaith a chymunedol fel dau
beth ar wahân yn lle ystyriaeth fanwl o ba fath ar ddatblygu economaidd a fydd o fudd pennaf i’r iaith ac i’n cymunedau.
Er bod "gwarchod, gwella a hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg a hunaniaeth ddiwylliannol" yn un o Amcanion Strategol y Cynllun dydy cynnwys y Cynllun ei hun ddim yn adlewyrchu
hynny.
Ymhellach, mae Strategaeth Hybu’r Gymraeg y Cyngor yn cynnwys y nod o wneud y Gymraeg yn brif iaith y sir. Dydy’r Cynllun Datblygu Lleol ddim yn cyfeirio at hynny o
gwbl, ac yn gweithio yn erbyn hynny.
Anghenion tai ac amcanestyniadau poblogaeth
Fel gyda’r yr ail Gynllun gwrieddiol, mae’n anodd peidio â dod i’r casgliad i’r Cyngor Sir ofyn faint o dai fyddai eu hangen er mwyn cyflawni amcanion ei strategaeth
adfywio gan fod nifer y tai wedi ei seilio ar Adroddiad Tai a Thwf Economaidd (Twf Poblogaeth) Turley.
Mae’r cynllun yn cydnabod y bu dirywiad sylweddol yn nifer y siaradwyr Cymraeg dros y degawdau diwethaf, felly rhaid gofyn pam bod yr ail Gynllun Datblygu Lleol wedi ei seilio ar amcanestyniad deng mlynedd yn Adroddiad Tai a Thwf Economaidd (Twf Poblogaeth) Turley.
Roedd y Cynllun Datblygu Lleol cyntaf wedi ei seilio ar amcanestyniad poblogaeth hefyd, ac yn cynllunio ar gyfer twf.
Mae’r Cynllun Adneuo’n disgwyl twf o 14,468 ym mhoblogaeth y Sir a bod angen 8,822 o dai er mwyn cyflawni amcan o greu 4,140 o swyddi.
Anghytunwn gyda'r Opsiwn a Ffefrir, sef Strategaeth Twf Cynaliadwy a Chymuned Gytbwys felly.
Bydd canolbwyntio'r twf mewn dwy ardal yn nwyrain y sir, Llain Arfordirol Llanelli ac ardal Rhydaman / Cross Hands, yn annog mewnlifiad trwy greu pentrefi cymudwyr.
Mae'r Adroddiad ar yr Ymgynghoriad Cychwynnol yn nodi, mewn ymateb i sylwadau Cymdeithas yr Iaith i bryderon am seilio Cynllun Datblygu Lleol ar gynllun economaidd:
"Further evidence will be produced to inform the economic needs of the County and its impacts upon the County's housing needs."
Mae sylwadau Llywodraeth Cymru i’r ymgynghoriad gwreiddiol hefyd yn nodi:
“Further evidence and explanation is required to explain how and where the level of job growth will be delivered, including both strategic and non strategic allocations. It
is unclear what the level of employment provision is and for what sector and how this translates into a land requirement for employment uses. The current employment evidence base is inconsistent and unclear.
“The authority must fully justify/evidence that the growth levels are directed to the most sustainable places, related to the scale and location of housing need, not impacting negatively on the Welsh language and is realistic and deliverable.”
Does dim cyfeiriad yn y dogfennau diweddaraf at dystiolaeth bellach o effaith nac anghenion yn sgil datblygiadau economaidd.
Dylai’r cyngor gyd-gynhyrchu Asesiad Cymunedol rheolaidd ym mhob ardal o'r sir gyda chymunedau fel partneriaid cyfartal.
Y Gymraeg
Er bod “Asesiad Effaith ar yr Iaith Gymraeg, Rhagfyr 2019” bellach wedi ei gyhoeddi ymddengys nad yw Asesiad o Effaith CDLl diwygiedig Adneuo Drafft Sir Gaerfyrddin
ar y Gymraeg, 2023, ar gael.
Dyma fyddai’r dystiolaeth fwyaf perthnasol o ran y Gymraeg.
Polisi, Y Gymraeg a Diwylliant Cymru
Mae geiriad polisi SP8 yn achos pryder:
“Ni fydd cynigion datblygu sy'n cael effaith anfanteisiol ar fywiogrwydd a hyfywedd y Gymraeg a diwylliant Cymru'n cael eu caniatáu oni bai y gellir lliniaru'r effaith.”
Trwy fynnu mesurau lliniaru mae cydnabod bod effaith negyddol i’r Gymraeg, ac yn unol â’u diffiniad, nid atal effaith negyddol fydd unrhyw fesurau lliniaru ond lleihau’r effaith hynny.
Mae Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn croesawu penderfyniad y Cyngor Sir i ddynodi’r sir gyfan yn ardal yn ieithyddol sensitif eto ond mae angen i’r Cynllun adlewyrchu mor fregus yw’r cymunedau hynny, trwy seilio’r Cynllun ar angen am dai.
Tra yn cytuno ag amcan cymal 11.174 i greu swyddi a chyfleoedd er mwyn galluogi pobl i aros yn y sir anghytunwn bod y twf sy'n cael ei gynllunio yn "gynaliadwy" ac y bydd y Cynllun yn "cynyddu i'r eithaf y cyfleoedd i siaradwyr di-Gymraeg sy'n symud i mewn i'r Sir gael eu hintegreiddio i fywyd cymunedol ar raddfa a chyflymder na fydd yn tanseilio bywiogrwydd a hyfywedd y Gymraeg a diwylliant Cymru.”
Pryderwn bod cymal 11.176 yn nodi y bydd:
“ceisio sicrhau bod datblygu'n mynd rhagddo ar raddfa y gellir ei derbyn a'i chymhathu heb niweidio cymeriad y gymuned.”
Mae “ceisio sicrhau” yn groes i’r egwyddor yng nghymal 11.174 y bydd integreiddio ar raddfa gynaliadwy.
WL1: Y Gymraeg a Datblygiadau Newydd
Mae'n galonogol bod y polisi ei hun yn glir mai bwriad y Cynllun Gweithredu Iaith Gymraeg fyddai nodi mesurau "i ddiogelu, hyrwyddo a gwella'r Gymraeg", ond mae
cymal 11.179 yn cyfeirio at “fesurau lliniaru” Cynllun Gweithredu, sy’n awgrym mai mesurau lliniaru sydd mewn golwg mewn gwirionedd.
Yn ogystal, nodwn eto bod Strategaeth Hybu’r Gymraeg y cyngor yn gosod nod o wneud y Gymraeg yn brif iaith y sir, ac nad yw polisi WL1 yn cyd-fynd â hynny.
Mae’n galonogol hefyd bod y polisi yn rhoi disgwyliadau bod Cynllun Gweithredu Iaith Gymraeg yn dangos bod y datblygiad yn cyfrannu’n gadarnhaol i grwpiau iaith
Gymraeg yn yr ardal.
Dydy hi ddim yn glir beth fyddai'n cael ei ystyried yn ddatblygiad ar "raddfa fawr" ac a fyddai'n gymwys i baratoi Asesiad o'r Effaith ar y Gymraeg.
Credwn bod angen ffigyrau penodol yn yr achos yma, a nodi canran ychwanegol o dai yn achos datblygiad tai neu ganran o weithwyr a phoblogaeth yn achos datblygiadau cyflogaeth.
Nid oes unrhyw sôn o gwbl am y Gymraeg yn y Profion Cadernid. Os mai nod y Cynllun yw “'hyrwyddo'r Gymraeg a'i diwylliant” oni ddylai hynny fod yn rhan o
Brofion Cadernid?
Crynodeb
Mae Cymdeithas yr Iaith yn rhannu’r farn gyffredin i’r Cynllun Datblygu Lleol presennol fod yn fethiant, ac roeddem yn gobeithio y byddai’r Cyngor achub ar y
cyfle pellach hwn i lunio cynllun diwygiedig a fyddai’n newid cyfeiriad trwy flaenoriaethu lles cymunedau ledled y Sir a rhoi lle canolog i’r Gymraeg.
Siomedig felly yw gweld strategaeth gorfforaethol sydd yn canolbwyntio ar gyflawni ychydig o ddatblygiadau yn ne a dwyrain y Sir yn hytrach na rhaglen arloesol o hyrwyddo datblygiadau a chyfleoedd cyflogaeth ar raddfa llai ledled Sir Gaerfyrddin.
Teimlwn yn gryf fod diffyg tystiolaeth o ran y dyraniadau tai a safleoedd cyflogaeth. Nid yw gobaith ac uchelgais yr un peth â thystiolaeth.
Croesawn rai o’r camau y mae’r Cyngor am eu gwneud i liniaru ac asesu effaith datblygiadau ar yr iaith ond mae cryn dipyn o waith i’w wneud o hyd, a’r pryder yw y
caiff buddiannau cymunedau Cymraeg eu gosod yn ail i amcanion strategaeth adfywio’r Cyngor Sir, strategaeth sydd yn ei hanfod yn edrych yn hen ffasiwn erbyn
hyn.
Rhanbarth Caerfyrddin, Cymdeithas yr Iaith Ebrill 2023
Cymdeithas yr Iaith - Carmarthen Region's response to consultation on Carmarthenshire’s Deposit Revised Local Development Plan 2018 - 2033
Initial comments
We recognise that the objectives of the Revised Local Development Plan (LDP) are ambitious and that the County Council's aspiration to facilitate high quality job creation is commendable.
Having said that and having analysed the relevant documents, we must raise serious concerns about the impact of the scheme on the Welsh language and some of Carmarthenshire’s communities and areas where the Welsh language is at its strongest.
We believe that key elements of the revised plan are not based on hard evidence, and that there is a long way to go to ensure a viable future for the Welsh language before the Council submits the Deposit Scheme to the Government. There is no analysis of how creating a significant number of jobs in one corner of the county can achieve the goal of preventing the severe exodus of young people from our communities across the county. A fundamental mistake is that the Plan treats economic regeneration and language and community regeneration as two separate things instead of giving detailed consideration into what kind of economic development will best benefit the language and our communities.
Although "protecting, enhancing and promoting the Welsh language and cultural identity" is one of the Strategic Objectives of the Plan, the content of the Plan itself does not reflect that.
Furthermore, the Council's Welsh Language Promotion Strategy includes the aim of making Welsh the main language of the county. The LDP does not refer to that at all and works against it.
Housing needs and population projections
As with the second original Plan, it is difficult not to conclude that the County Council asked how much housing would be needed to achieve the objectives of its regeneration strategy, as the number of houses is based on Turley's Housing and Economic Growth (Population Growth) Report.
The plan recognises that there has been a significant decline in the number of Welsh speakers in recent decades, therefore one must ask why the second LDP is based on a ten-year projection in Turley's Housing and Economic Growth (Population Growth) Report.
The first LDP was also based on a population projection, and it planned for growth.
The Deposit Plan expects a growth of 14,468 in the County's population and that 8,822 houses are needed to achieve an objective of creating 4,140 jobs.
We disagree with the Preferred Option, which is a Balanced Community and Sustainable Growth Strategy.
Focusing growth in two areas in the east of the county, the Llanelli Coastal Belt and the Ammanford / Cross Hands area, will encourage an influx through the creation of commuter villages.
The Report on the Initial Consultation states, in response to Cymdeithas yr Iaith's comments regarding concerns about basing a Local Development Plan on an economic plan:
"Further evidence will be produced to inform the economic needs of the County and its impacts upon the County's housing needs."
The Welsh Government's comments regarding the original consultation also state:
"Further evidence and explanation is required to explain how and where the level of job growth will be delivered, including both strategic and non strategic allocations. It is unclear what the level of employment provision is and for what sector and how this
translates into a land requirement for employment uses. The current employment evidence base is inconsistent and unclear.
"The authority must fully justify/evidence that the growth levels are directed to the most sustainable places, related to the scale and location of housing need, not impacting negatively on the Welsh language and is realistic and deliverable."
There is no reference in the latest documents to further evidence of impact nor to needs arising from economic developments.
The council should co-produce a regular Community Assessment in all areas of the county with communities as equal partners.
The Welsh Language
Although a "Welsh Language Impact Assessment, December 2019" has now been published it appears that Carmarthenshire's Draft Deposit Revised LDP - Welsh Language Impact Assessment, 2023, is not available.
This would be the most relevant evidence regarding the Welsh language.
Policy, Welsh Language and Culture
The wording of policy SP8 is a cause for concern:
"Development proposals which have a detrimental impact on the vitality and viability of the Welsh language and culture will not be permitted unless the impact can be mitigated."
By requiring mitigation measures it is recognised that there is a negative impact on the Welsh language, and according to their definition, any mitigation measures will not prevent a negative impact but rather minimise that impact.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith welcomes the County Council's decision to designate the whole county as a linguistically sensitive area again but the Plan needs to reflect the vulnerability of those communities, by basing the Plan on housing need.
Whilst agreeing with the objective of clause 11.174 to create jobs and opportunities to enable people to stay in the county, we disagree that the growth being planned is "sustainable" and that the Plan will "maximise opportunities for non-Welsh speakers who move to the County to be integrated into community life at a scale and pace that will not undermine the vitality and viability of the Welsh language and culture."
We are concerned that clause 11.176 states that:
"…will seek to ensure that development occurs at a rate which can be absorbed and assimilated without damaging the character of the community."
"Seeking to ensure" is contrary to the principle in clause 11.174 that integration will be on a sustainable scale.
WL1: Welsh Language and New Developments
It is encouraging that the policy itself is clear that the intention of the Welsh Language Action Plan would be to set out measures "to safeguard, promote and enhance the Welsh language", but clause 11.179 refers to the Action Plan’s "mitigation measures", which suggests that it is mitigation measures that are actually in mind.
In addition, we again note that the council's Welsh Language Promotion Strategy sets a goal of making Welsh the primary language of the county, which does not accord with policy WL1.
It is also encouraging that the policy sets expectations for the Welsh Language Action Plan to show that the development contributes positively to Welsh language groups in the area.
It is unclear what would be considered a "large-scale" development and whether it would qualify to prepare a Welsh Language Impact Assessment.
We believe that specific figures are needed in this case, and that an additional percentage of housing is identified in the case of a housing development or a percentage of employees and population in the case of employment developments.
There is absolutely no mention of Welsh in the Tests of Soundness. If the aim of the Plan is to "promote the Welsh language and its culture" shouldn't that be part of Tests of Soundness?
Summary
Cymdeithas yr Iaith shares the common view that the current LDP has been a failure, and we hoped that the Council would take this further opportunity to produce a revised plan that would change direction by prioritising the wellbeing of communities across the County and placing the Welsh language at its heart.
It is therefore disappointing to see a corporate strategy that focuses on delivering a few developments in the south and east of the County rather than an innovative programme of promoting smaller-scale employment developments and opportunities across Carmarthenshire.
We strongly feel that there is a lack of evidence on housing allocations and employment sites.
Hope and ambition are not the same thing as evidence.
We welcome some of the steps the Council wants to take to mitigate and assess the impact of developments on the language but there is still a long way to go, and we are concerned that the interests of Welsh-speaking communities will be placed second to the objectives of the County Council's regeneration strategy, a strategy that essentially looks outdated now.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Carmarthen Region April 2023
