Councillors have approved a new Welsh language strategy for the county borough.
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s five-year Welsh Language Strategy will introduce a target to increase the number of Welsh speakers within the borough by 3% by 2022.
Cllr Barbara Jones, Cabinet Member of Corporate Services, said: “The strategy has been developed with partners in the local Welsh Language Forum and will be monitored by them, in conjunction with the local authority. Activity will be reported on an annual basis.
“I look forward to seeing how the new strategy contributes towards increasing the use of the Welsh language.”
According to 2011 Census data, 19,251 adults and children speak Welsh across Caerphilly County Borough – 11.2% of the local population.
The next official measure of the number of Welsh speakers within the county borough will be measured in the 2021 Census. The Welsh Government is aiming to increase the number of Welsh speakers across Wales to one million by 2050.
Demand for places in Welsh language education locally has been on the increase in recent years.
To meet the soaring demand, Caerphilly County Borough Council redeveloped and re-opened the former site of St Ilan School in Caerphilly town for Welsh language education.
The £20m campus is now home to Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Caerffili and part of Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni.
About time CCBC, better late than never. For me it doesn’t go far enough but we will see. I hope the council is also keeping up with the demand for Welsh language education and aiming to avoid provision coming under threat.
O’r diwedd CCBC, well hwyr na byth. I fi nad yw hwn yn ddigon ond gawn ni weld. Rwyn gobeithio bydd y cyngor yn cadw fynny gyda’r gofyn am addysg Cymraeg ac i osgoi y ddarpariaeth dod o dan bygythiad.