A LONG-SERVING Gwynedd councillor has been suspended by Plaid Cymru after comments linking migration, housing pressure and the Welsh language.
Cllr Gareth Roberts, who represents Bangor’s Dewi ward, made the remarks during a planning committee debate on an application for 25 homes in Chwilog, on the Llŷn Peninsula.
Councillor raised concerns
The committee voted to reject the scheme against officers’ advice after concerns were raised about its possible impact on community cohesion and the Welsh language.
During the meeting, Cllr Roberts said Bangor was “no longer a Welsh-speaking area” and claimed he had seen the city’s Welsh-speaking population decline.
He said: “Certainly, within the last five years, I’ve seen hundreds if not 1,000 more people coming here to live, migrants.”
He also referred to pressure on schools, saying he had been told there were 42 different languages being spoken at his former primary school.
Cllr Roberts argued that housing shortages in Bangor could push demand into surrounding Welsh-speaking communities, including Chwilog.
Party investigation
Plaid Cymru has confirmed that Cllr Roberts’ party membership has been temporarily suspended following a formal complaint.
A party spokesperson said the suspension was a “neutral action” while an investigation is carried out.
Cllr Roberts has also resigned from Plaid Cymru’s group on Cyngor Gwynedd and is now listed as an individual member.
Speaking to BBC Wales, he insisted he was not opposed to migration and said Bangor had always been multicultural.
He said his comments were about housing, integration and the need to help people learn Welsh, rather than criticism of those who had moved to the area.
