AT A FORUM titled “The Future of Carmarthenshire’s Rural Welsh-speaking Communities” on Saturday (September 27) Cymdeithas yr Iaith called for interventions to create work, provide housing, maintain rural services and create communities that people want to live in.
Speaking on behalf of the Cymdeithas yr Iaith Wynfford James said: “There appears to be no attempt at local authority or party level to plan strategically for the future of rural communities.
“Apart from the Arfor scheme, there has been no investment or attention to rural communities as there are for city-region plans. So today was an opportunity to start a discussion and plan the future of our rural communities.”
According to Cymdeithas yr Iaith, in the face of financial challenges and depopulation, it is necessary to consider models providing service as multi-site services, in collaboration with volunteers and through community initiatives, which will require co-operation between authorities and communities
Wynfford James added: “We need to anticipate the types of rural communities we will have in 2050.
“Once we have that, collaboration will be essential, and time and investment will be needed for constant engagement between partners in order to move forward. I hope today’s discussions will be a step on the way.”
