Gwynedd Council was the first local authority in Wales to introduce an Article 4 Direction, which requires people to get planning permission for second homes and holiday lets.
Legal proceedings were issued by opponents of the policy, including homeowners worried that it would have a negative impact on the housing market. Further to the group being refused permission for a judicial review, as part of the High Court hearing in Cardiff, Mr Justice Pepperall said the review should proceed on one key ground: that the Council’s Cabinet may have been “misled” over the nature and extent of the changes to the County’s planning regime.
Commenting on the ruling, Janet said:
“I welcome the decision which further proves what I have been saying for years, that Plaid Cymru at both local and national levels have not been giving careful attention to the potential consequences of their policies.
“There are numerous ways through which we can tackle the housing shortage, such as compulsory purchasing some of the 1,512 long term empties in Gwynedd, building more homes for locals, and reforming the private rent sector so that landlords choose to stay in the market, which is essential to communities like Caernarfon and Bangor.
“Plaid Cymru and Welsh Labour’s cooperation on housing policy in the Senedd has been a disaster. It is time for a new approach which actually delivers homes for Wales rather than pretend to do so by besieging second home and holiday let owners with ridiculous policies such as Article 4”.
ENDS
Cyngor Gwynedd oedd yr awdurdod lleol cyntaf yng Nghymru i gyflwyno Cyfarwyddyd Erthygl 4, sy'n ei gwneud yn ofynnol i bobl gael caniatâd cynllunio ar gyfer ail gartrefi a llety gwyliau.
Cyhoeddwyd achos cyfreithiol gan wrthwynebwyr y polisi, gan gynnwys perchnogion tai sy'n poeni y byddai'n cael effaith negyddol ar y farchnad dai. Ar ôl gwrthod caniatâd i'r grŵp gael adolygiad barnwrol, fel rhan o wrandawiad yr Uchel Lys yng Nghaerdydd, dywedodd Mr Ustus Pepperall y dylai'r adolygiad fynd rhagddo ar un sail allweddol: y gallai Cabinet y Cyngor fod wedi cael ei "gamarwain" dros natur a maint y newidiadau i drefn gynllunio'r Sir.
Wrth sôn am y dyfarniad, dywedodd Janet:
“Rwy'n croesawu'r penderfyniad sy'n profi ymhellach yr hyn rwyf wedi'i ddweud ers blynyddoedd, sef nad yw Plaid Cymru ar lefel leol a chenedlaethol wedi bod yn rhoi sylw gofalus i ganlyniadau posibl eu polisïau.
“Mae sawl ffordd bosibl o fynd i'r afael â'r prinder tai, megis prynu'r 1,512 o eiddo gwag hirdymor yng Ngwynedd yn orfodol, adeiladu mwy o gartrefi i bobl leol a diwygio'r sector rhentu preifat fel bod landlordiaid yn dewis aros yn y farchnad, sy'n hanfodol i gymunedau fel Bangor a Chaernarfon.
“Mae cydweithrediad Plaid Cymru a Llafur Cymru ar bolisi tai yn y Senedd wedi bod yn drychinebus. Mae'n hen bryd cael dull newydd sy'n darparu cartrefi i Gymru yn hytrach nag esgus gwneud hynny trwy roi perchnogion ail gartrefi a llety gwyliau dan warchae gyda pholisïau chwerthinllyd fel Erthygl 4”.
DIWEDD
