Gwynedd Council or ‘Cyngor Gwynedd’ as it will now increasingly be known has recently adopted a reformed Welsh Language Policy.
Commenting, Welsh Conservative Shadow Local Government Minister, Sam Rowlands MS said:
“Our aim should always be to promote the Welsh language by giving it parity with English, not prioritising one language over the other.
“It seems that in the minds of some, exclusionary signage is acceptable as long as it is English speakers being excluded.
“We need to ensure that we remain an inclusive nation, given the fact that 80% of the population speaks only English. I would urge Gwynedd Council to rethink their strategy and to keep the bilingual policy in place.”
The policy will see staff only using the Welsh name “Cyngor Gwynedd” when referring to the council in written formats, and as part of its corporate image. Gwynedd Council says it aims to “prioritise the Welsh language”.