Aug

New ‘locals first’ housing policy announced to protect Welsh language

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The government in Wales has revealed more plans to intervene in the property market and help stop properties in Welsh-speaking areas being sold to outsiders for second homes or holiday lets.

This announcement is part of a renewed attempt to protect the Welsh language and often rural or coastal communities who speak it, and raise the number of people speaking the language to a million by 2050.

This includes a new Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities that will recommend policies in two years’ time.
But in the meantime, the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, is due to reveal more details of the proposal.

It will include a voluntary ‘fair chance scheme’ to help sellers make decisions about how they sell property by allowing properties to be marketed locally only, for a fixed period.

The Welsh Government will also work with organisations such as estate agents to address the housing needs of those communities.

This scheme is part of a wider effort in Wales to stop communities being affected by the purchase of local homes by Airbnb investors and second home buyers.

Last month, the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru announced further plans for new planning laws, a licensing scheme for visitor accommodation and proposals to change land transaction tax in areas with Jeremy Miles said: “For the Welsh language to thrive, we need sustainable communities and good job opportunities in the areas where it is widely spoken.

“Through our Welsh Language Communities Housing Plan, and the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities we’re announcing today, we and our partners will work together with communities where Welsh is the main language and help them develop plans which protect their identity and our language.”

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