A)
NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR EINIR
WILLIAMS
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Einir Williams will propose as follows:-
Protecting Welsh Place Names on Ordnance Survey Maps
I want to express deep and passionate concern about the current Ordnance
Survey (OS) policy which is leading to the deletion, undermining and ignoring
of Welsh place names that have been part of our landscape for centuries.
Ordnance Survey maps currently:
·
Replace
historic Welsh names with English ones that have no basis or tradition, e.g. The
Mushroom Garden for Coed Cerrig y Frân, Heather Terrace Path for
Llwybr Gwregys.
·
Place
English names alongside Welsh names, creating the impression that the Welsh
names are optional or secondary, e.g. Cwm Cneifion / Nameless Cwm, Bala Lake
/ Llyn Tegid. 'Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa (despite the fact that the Eryri National
Park Authority does not use the name Snowdon now.)'
This Council criticises these practices, as they contribute directly to
the loss of Welsh names, and therefore undermine our language, history and
national identity. When the Ordnance Survey adopts an English name, it appears
on websites, signs, publications, and media and as a result, the Welsh name is
pushed aside.
This happens even among young Welsh-speakers, who are often led to
believe that the English name is the "standard". This is how language
is weakened, not in one shot, but in a thousand small steps.
Welsh place names are part of our cultural DNA. They tell the story of
the land, the people, the legends, the work, the life. No one has the right to
delete or replace them.
Therefore, I want to propose to this Council today that we:
1. Write to the Ordnance Survey to call
on them to put an end to the current harmful policy, and to adopt a clear and
simple principle and to use only Welsh language landscape place names on maps
in Wales.
2. Call on the Welsh Government to
intervene formally and to ensure that the Ordnance Survey respects and protects
historic Welsh names.
This is not just a matter of maps.
It's a matter of identity, respect and cultural justice.
B)
NOTICE OF MOTION BY COUNCILLOR NIA
JEFFREYS
In accordance with the Notice of Motion received under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, Councillor Nia Jeffreys will propose as follows:-
The Council marks the murder of Member of
Parliament, Jo Cox on 16/06/2016, ten years ago this year. (MP David Amess was
also murdered on 15/10/2021).
In a world that is increasingly violent and
aggressive, it is sad that elected members, of all parties and at all levels of
government, are increasingly open to insults and abuse. Recent research shows
that 72% of Councillors have experienced some form of threat – whether verbal
or worse – in the last 12 months.
This Council believes that threatening or
violent behaviour has no place in politics. Cyngor Gwynedd Councillors are
committed to modelling the highest standards of respect and courtesy when
dealing with each other and with the public, and we want the same respect to be
shown towards us.
We call on members of this Council and members
of Community and Town Councils throughout Gwynedd to support the One Voice
Wales, NALC and SLCC "Civility and Respect Pledge" campaign.
Decision:
I want to
express deep and passionate concern about the current Ordnance Survey (OS) policy which is leading to the deletion, undermining and
ignoring of Welsh place names that have been part of our landscape for
centuries.
Ordnance
Survey maps currently:
·
Replace
historical Welsh names with English forms that have no basis or tradition,
e.g. The Mushroom Garden for Coed Cerrig y Frân, Heather Terrace Path for Llwybr
Gwregys.
·
Place
English names alongside Welsh names, creating the impression that the Welsh
names are optional or secondary, e.g. Cwm Cneifion/Nameless
Cwm, Bala Lake/Llyn Tegid. 'Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa (despite the fact that the
Eryri National Park Authority no longer uses the name Snowdon.)'
This
Council criticises these practices, as they contribute directly to the loss of
Welsh names, and therefore undermine our language, history and national
identity. When the Ordnance Survey adopts an English name, it appears on
websites, signs, publications and media, and as a result, the Welsh name is
pushed aside.
This
happens even among young Welsh-speakers, who are often led to believe that the
English name is the "standard". This is how language is weakened, not
in one shot, but in a thousand small steps.
Welsh place
names are part of our cultural DNA. They tell the story of the land, the
people, the legends, the work, the life. No one has the right to delete or
replace them.
Therefore,
I want to propose to this Council today that we:
1.
Write
to the Ordnance Survey to call on them to put an end to the current harmful
policy, and to adopt a clear and simple principle and to use only
Welsh-language landscape place names on maps in Wales.
2.
Call
on the Welsh Government to intervene formally and to ensure that the Ordnance
Survey respects and protects historic Welsh names.
3.
Call
on the other Welsh Authorities to follow this proposal.
This is not
just a matter of maps. It is a matter of identity, respect and
cultural justice.
Minutes:
(A) A notice of motion was submitted by
Councillor Einir Williams under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was
seconded.
Members expressed enthusiastic support for the proposal, noting that:
·
The matter was close to the heart of several
Members.
·
Examples
of historical names with strong roots in Welsh legends, geography and history.
The need to retain them on the maps was noted.
·
It
was highlighted that house names were also disappearing and a commitment was
needed from the Council to not be hypocritical and to use Welsh addresses in
correspondence.
·
A
tribute was paid to a man who had fought hard for this issue, the late Eilian
Williams, Dyffryn Peris, and he was thanked for his work.
·
It
was emphasised that these names were a part of Welsh culture, and there was a
real need for them to be preserved.
·
It was agreed to add a clause to call on other
authorities across Wales to follow this proposal.
·
It
was highlighted that the Council had been doing work for years to try to
influence the Welsh Government and that work had been done to preserve Welsh
place names.
·
It
was expressed that the Welsh Government did not have direct power on this
issue, but it was hoped that they would look seriously at the matter and put
pressure on the OS to ensure that the Welsh names are on maps.
·
An amendment was proposed – that this Council calls
on a Monitoring Officer to send a memorandum to use Welsh names only. It was
stated in response that street names were official and therefore there were
legal boundaries, but the Council will when possible, preserve the Welsh name
and to push the legal boundaries as much as possible.
·
It
was promised that the Council, in writing to the Ordnance Survey, would request
an official meeting to discuss the matter.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-
I want to express deep and passionate concern
about the current Ordnance Survey (OS) policy, which is leading to the
deletion, undermining and ignoring of Welsh place names that have been part of
our landscape for centuries.
Ordnance Survey maps currently:
·
Replace historical Welsh names with
English forms that have no basis or tradition, e.g. The Mushroom Garden
for Coed Cerrig y Frân, Heather Terrace
Path for Llwybr Gwregys.
·
Place English names alongside Welsh
names, creating the impression that the Welsh names are optional or secondary,
e.g. Cwm Cneifion / Nameless Cwm, Bala Lake /
Llyn Tegid. ’Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa (despite the fact that Eryri National Park Authority
no longer uses the name Snowdon.)'
This Council criticises these practices, as
they contribute directly to the loss of Welsh names, and therefore undermine
our language, history and national identity. When the Ordnance Survey adopts an
English name, it appears on websites, signs, publications, and media and as a
result, the Welsh name is pushed aside.
This happens even among young Welsh speakers,
who are often led to believe that the English name is the "standard".
This is how language is weakened, not in a single strike, but in a thousand
small steps.
Welsh place names are part of our cultural DNA.
They tell the story of the land, the people, the legends, the work, the life.
No one has the right to delete or replace them.
Therefore, I want to propose to this Council
today that we:
1. Write to the Ordnance Survey to call on them to put an end to the
current harmful policy, and to adopt a clear and simple principle and to use
only Welsh language landscape place names on maps in Wales.
2. Call on the Welsh Government to intervene formally and to ensure that
the Ordnance Survey respects and protects historic Welsh names.
3. Call on the other Welsh Authorities to follow this proposal.
This is not just a matter of
maps. It is a matter of identity, respect and cultural justice.
(B) Submitted – the following notice of
motion by the Council Leader under Section 4.19 of the Constitution, and it was
seconded. No observations were received.
RESOLVED to adopt the motion, namely:-
The
Council marks the murder of Member of Parliament, Jo Cox on 16/06/2016, ten
years ago this year. (David Amess MP was also murdered on 15/10/2021).
In a
world that is increasingly violent and aggressive, it is sad that elected
members, of all parties and at all levels of government, are increasingly
exposed to insults and abuse. Recent research shows that 72% of Councillors
have experienced some form of threat – whether verbal or worse – in the last 12
months.
This
Council believes that threatening or violent behaviour has no place in
politics. Cyngor Gwynedd Councillors are committed to modelling the highest
standards of respect and courtesy when dealing with each other and with the
public, and we want the same respect to be shown towards us.
We call
on members of this Council and members of Community and Town Councils
throughout Gwynedd to support the One Voice Wales, NALC and SLCC "Pledge
of Respect and Courtesy" campaign.