Aberconwy MS/AS slams Welsh Government for lack of progress on it’s second home pilot scheme
In January of this year a Welsh Government pilot scheme was introduced in the Dwyfor area, within the county of Gwynedd. Welsh Government ministers outlined that their scheme would “inject fairness back into the housing system”. However, six months on the Leader of Gwynedd Council has outlined that the pilot lacks “clarity” and “leadership”.
Following this, the Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, and Shadow Minister for Climate Change, Janet Finch-Saunders, has called for the Welsh Government to review its approach to tackling the housing crisis facing many communities across Wales.
Commenting on the matter Janet said:
“Industry data suggests that Wales needs to build 12,000 homes a year by 2031 but before the pandemic we saw that the Welsh Government could barely manage half of that. Shockingly in 2018-19 we saw the number of properties completed fall to 30.6% below levels seen prior to devolution.
“This failure to deliver on new homes is compounded by the reality that the Welsh Government refuses to listen to the common-sense policy solutions that I have put forward, including the re-introduction of the Right-to-Buy scheme and amendments to planning policy. Instead, the Welsh Government has become obsessed with targeting second homeowners and legitimate holiday let businesses.
“However, it is clear that even in this the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru are failing, once again announcing a new scheme without having thought it through. It is totally shocking that six months into this scheme Gwynedd’s Council Leader remains unsure as to what the Welsh Government are even piloting.
“It is time for the Welsh Government and Plaid Cymru to rethink their approach and listen to the common-sense recommendations being put forward by myself and colleagues on the Welsh Conservative benches. The people of Wales cannot afford for more dither and failure from the Welsh Government while the dream of ownership continues to slip away in front of their eyes.
“ Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour’s façade that they are taking action to help improve home ownership in Wales is quickly crumbling. The socialists and nationalists should now give my policies a chance as they would actually deliver more and new homes for locals.”
ENDS/
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
Notes to editor: Janet’s five-prong plan for action is:
1. Housebuilding: Affordability needs to be addressed by building more homes, with an emphasis on generating mixed communities. To assist with this, Janet has urged the Welsh Government to review what steps can be taken to convert empty public sector land, such as that owned by our Health Boards, into sites ready for development.
2. Regulatory Review: As many as 10,000 homes (including 1,700 affordable) cannot be progressed due to NRW guidance on phosphorus. On the one hand we have the Welsh Government pushing for new housing, but on the other planning authorities cannot progress with applications because of the phosphate’s guidance. Ministers need to plunge the block by asking NRW to suspend its guidance, or through implementing exceptions and phosphate stripping capability in our drainage systems.
3. Confront the Empty Homes Crisis: The Welsh Government should work with our local authorities to better promote the Empty Home Loan and work with the UK Government to review what steps can be taken to convert empty space above retail units into affordable, centrally located housing.
4. Right to Buy: Restore the Right-to-Buy in Wales, reinvesting sale proceeds into more social housing and protecting homes from sale for 10 years. For every one house sold, three new units can be built. The aim would be to include the building of houses for locals on the edge of communities.
5. Technical Advice Note 6: The scope of the policy should be widened, to cater for children of farmers who live at home but work elsewhere to more easily gain planning permission to build homes on family land.
AS Aberconwy yn gwawdio Llywodraeth Cymru am ddiffyg cynnydd ar ei chynllun peilot ail gartrefi
Ym mis Ionawr eleni cyflwynwyd cynllun peilot Llywodraeth Cymru yn ardal Dwyfor yng Ngwynedd. Amlinellodd gweinidogion Llywodraeth Cymru y byddai eu cynllun yn “chwistrellu tegwch yn ôl i’r system dai”. Fodd bynnag, chwe mis yn ddiweddarach mae Arweinydd Cyngor Gwynedd wedi amlinellu nad oes digon o “eglurder” ac “arweinyddiaeth” yn y peilot.
Yn dilyn hyn, mae Janet Finch-Saunders Aelod o’r Senedd dros Aberconwy, a Gweinidog yr Wrthblaid dros Newid Hinsawdd, wedi galw ar Lywodraeth Cymru i fynd i’r afael â’r argyfwng tai sy’n wynebu llawer o gymunedau ledled Cymru.
Wrth sôn am y mater, dywedodd Janet:
“Awgryma data’r diwydiant bod angen i Gymru adeiladu 12,000 o gartrefi'r flwyddyn erbyn 2031 ond cyn y pandemig gwelsom fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi llwyddo i sicrhau prin hanner hynny. At hynny, yn 2018-19 gwelsom nifer yr eiddo wedi’u cwblhau yn gostwng i 30.6% o dan y lefelau a welwyd cyn datganoli. Mae hynny’n gywilyddus.
“Mae’r methiant hwn i ddarparu cartrefi newydd yn cael ei waethygu gan y realiti bod Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwrthod gwrando ar atebion polisi synnwyr cyffredin rwyf wedi’u cynnig, gan gynnwys ailgyflwyno’r cynllun Hawl i Brynu a diwygiadau i bolisi cynllunio. Yn hytrach, mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn benderfynol o dargedu perchnogion ail gartrefi a busnesau gosod gwyliau cyfreithlon.
“Fodd bynnag, mae’n amlwg bod Llywodraeth Cymru a Phlaid Cymru yn methu hyd yn oed o ran hynny, gan gyhoeddi cynllun newydd heb ei bwyso a’i fesur yn iawn unwaith eto. Mae’n gwbl syfrdanol chwe mis ar ôl cychwyn y cynllun hwn nad yw Arweinydd Cyngor Gwynedd yn sicr o hyd beth yn union mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn ei dreialu.
“Mae’n hen bryd i Lywodraeth Cymru a Phlaid Cymru ailystyried eu dull gweithredu a gwrando ar argymhellion synnwyr cyffredin gennyf innau a chydweithwyr ar feinciau’r Ceidwadwyr Cymreig. Ni all pobl Cymru dderbyn mwy o laesu dwylo a methiannau gan Lywodraeth Cymru tra bod y freuddwyd berchnogaeth yn parhau i ddiflannu o flaen eu llygaid.
“Mae ffasâd Plaid Cymru a Llafur Cymru eu bod yn gweithredu i helpu i wella perchnogaeth cartrefi yng Nghymru yn prysur chwalu. Nawr, dylai’r sosialwyr a’r cenedlaetholwyr roi cyfle i fy mholisïau gan y byddent yn cyflawni mwy o gartrefi newydd i bobl leol.”
DIWEDD/
Ffotograff: Janet Finch-Saunders AS
Nodiadau i olygyddion: Cynllun gweithredu pum elfen Janet yw:
1. Adeiladu tai: Mae angen mynd i’r afael ag adeiladu rhagor o gartrefi, gyda phwyslais ar gynhyrchu cymunedau cymysg. I gynorthwyo gyda hyn, mae Janet wedi erfyn ar Lywodraeth Cymru i adolygu pa gamau y gellir eu cymryd i drosi tir sector cyhoeddus, fel tir ein Byrddau Iechyd, yn safleoedd yn barod i’w datblygu.
2. Adolygiad Rheoleiddio: Ni ellir datblygu cymaint â 10,000 o gartrefi (gan gynnwys 1,700 o dai fforddiadwy) oherwydd canllawiau Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru ar ffosfforws. Ar un llaw mae gennym Lywodraeth Cymru yn galw am dai newydd, ond ar y llaw arall ni all awdurdodau cynllunio fwrw rhagddi â cheisiadau oherwydd y canllawiau ffosffad. Mae angen i weinidogion fynd ati i symud pethau ymlaen drwy ofyn i Cyfoeth Naturiol Cymru atal y canllawiau hyn, neu drwy roi eithriadau ar waith a chynnwys gallu gwaredu ffosffad yn ein systemau draenio.
3. Mynd i’r afael â’r Argyfwng Cartrefi Gwag: Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru weithio gyda’n hawdurdodau lleol i hyrwyddo’r Benthyciad Cartrefi Gwag yn well a gweithio gyda Llywodraeth y DU i adolygu pa gamau y gellir eu cymryd i droi gofod gwag uwchben unedau manwerthu yn dai fforddiadwy â lleoliad canolog.
4. Hawl i Brynu: Adfer Hawl i Brynu yng Nghymru, gan ailfuddsoddi’r arian a geir ar ôl gwerthu yn fwy o gartrefi cymdeithasol a diogelu cartrefi rhag cael eu gwerthu am 10 mlynedd. Am bob tŷ sy’n cael ei werthu, gellir adeiladu tair uned newydd. Y nod fyddai cynnwys adeiladu tai ar gyfer pobl leol ar gyrion cymunedau.
5. Nodyn Cyngor Technegol 6: Dylid ehangu cwmpas y polisi, i ddarparu ar gyfer plant ffermwyr sy’n byw gartref ond sy’n gweithio yn rhywle arall i gael caniatâd cynllunio yn haws i adeiladu cartrefi ar dir y teulu.
