Rhostyllen.com campaigners have announced today that a referendum of the community of Esclusham will be taking place on Tuesday the 22nd January. Residents will get the chance to say whether or not they are against National Trust plans to build 223 houses opposite the village of Rhostyllen and also any other development within their community that is not based on local need.

The electoral department confirmed yesterday that the referendum will be open to all electors of the ward of Esclusham, which includes the villages of Rhostyllen, Bersham and Pentre Bychan. The vote will take place at the Parish Hall in Rhostyllen. Polling stations will be open from 4pm in the afternoon until 9.00pm in the evening.

Campaigners will now be publicising a Vote No campaign. Tara Green of the Rhostyllen Resident Committee said ‘We have fought hard to ensure the people of our community get a say about this development. This process has been made very difficult because of the behaviour of our community council; they have refused to allow public meetings and excluded us from meetings with the Trust. Because of their behaviour, residents voted in a majority to include a vote of no confidence in the council along with a vote about the Erddig development itself. The democratic process should be followed: neither the National Trust or community council can deny us our right to have our say.’

Carrie Harper, from the campaign group Cymuned, said ‘Residents have shown an amazing amount of commitment and determination to secure this referendum. We now challenge the National Trust and planning department to follow the democratic process and abide by the result of this vote.’

The communities group Cymuned has condemned Cynnal Cymru, which is financed by the Assembly Government in order to promote sustainable development in Wales, for refusing to make any comment on the unpopular proposed development by the National Trust in Rhostyllen near Wrecsam. Dr Ruth Williams is on the board of Cynnal Cymru and is also the Welsh Affairs Manager for the National Trust – and she also has refused to meet Cymuned representatives.

‘We believe that this reflects extremely poorly on Cynnal Cymru,’ says Aran Jones, Cymuned’s Chief Executive, ‘since it looks to be obvious that there is a link between board members’ employment and the issues that the organisation is willing to speak about. It’s bad enough that Dr Ruth Williams refuses to speak with Cymuned representatives, but to see Cynnal Cymru also refusing to make any comment on a proposed development which is in no way based on local need is absolutely appalling.’

Cymuned is working with the Rhostyllen Residents Committee (www.Rhostyllen.com) to promote awareness of local people’s unhappiness with the proposed development, which will involved building 223 houses which are not for local need, with a significantly lower percentage set aside for affordable housing than the Assembly is currently encouraging.

‘We’ve worked very hard to try and hold positive and sincere discussion with the National Trust, but they appear to have no concern whatsoever for the wishes of local people,’ says Carrie Harper, Cymuned’s representative in the North-East. ‘They simply want to make as much money as possible, to take advantage of the housing crisis, and the fact that their Welsh Affairs Manager won’t even speak with us tells volumes about their attitude. When the Trust has to choose between profit or local people, it chooses profit.’

Communities pressure group Cymuned has welcomed the Assembly Government’s decision to apply for powers from the UK government to suspend tenants’ “right to buy” in order to ensure that people on modest incomes can still find houses to rent in the areas where they live.

Cymuned believes that the steps the government is taking is a clear indication of the will to move forward towards effecting a significant change in the present situation, but that there is still a need to create a sustainable local housing market.

‘We support this decision by the government,’ said Aran Jones, Cymuned’s Chief Executive, ‘and we see it as indicative of the Assembly Government’s eagerness to face one of Wales’ biggest problems. But we believe there is a need to look at how to create a secondary sustainable housing market that will have a wider and more positive effect on the market as a whole.’

Cymuned believes there is an urgent need for wide-ranging discussion on the principle of establishing a local and sustainable housing market, instead of over-focusing on affordable housing in a way which shows signs of creating unnecessary complications for both buyers and sellers, and that the establishment of a sustainable local housing market would prevent the current disintegration of communities throughout Wales, as well as providing a solid basis for the vital work of strengthening local economies in order to create a better future for the entire country. The group runs the Homes4Locals.com campaign to encourage people to get involved in their own communities and make a difference at grass-roots level.

Rhostyllen residents will finally get the chance to have their say about controversial plans by the National trust to build 223 houses opposite their village. Residents have consistently been denied a public meeting about the plans, and have accused the community council in Rhostyllen of not representing their community and excluding residents from meetings with the National Trust.

In a dramatic twist, Rhostyllen.com campaigners say they have overcome the obstacles put in place by the National Trust and Esclusham community council to finally ensure that local people have their say about the future of their village.

Campaigners have been fighting for the last year to try and get a public meeting about the development. On 4 separate occasions the community council have refused the requests, blocking any sort of open discussion about the National Trust’s plans. But residents will now have a vote as to whether or not they are in favour of the ‘new village’ development; the vote will also apply to any other development within the community of Esclusham that is not based on local need. Additionally, residents have proposed a vote of no confidence in Esclusham community council.

Tara Green of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee said “It’s time to let the people decide – that is what this whole campaign has been about.”

The law allows local electors to convene their own parish meeting and to propose a referendum on an issue or issues relevant to their area. This is exactly what residents in Rhostyllen have done. They have delivered their official request to the county council, who now have between 14 to 25 days to comply under the local government act 1972, Schedule 12, Part III, Paragraph18(2).

Carrie Harper of the campaign group Cymuned said “We completely support the actions of the residents in Rhostyllen, and will help with this process in any way we can. It is only right that communities themselves decide what is right for their future instead of being dictated to by the council and developers. This will be an official vote, paid for and organised by the county council. Assembly guidelines (Planning Wales 2002) state that the planning committee should take on board the results of this vote when deciding on the application in question. Recently on the Dragon’s Eye programme, Iwan Hughes (Director of the National Trust in Wales) clearly stated that ‘This development will be decided by the democratic process’. We look forward to seeing if the National Trust will be true to their word.”

Campaigners say further details and a date for the referendum are expected soon. Due to the fact that the county council are not obliged to publicise the event, campaigners intend to inform the whole community of Esclusham as soon as a date is confirmed.

The community pressure group Cymuned has thanked the leaders of Plaid Cymru in Gwynedd for the chance to discuss their proposed report on schools rearrangement in a meeting last Monday. Cymuned sympathises very greatly with the different groups who are worried about the future of small schools, but also believes that Plaid Cymru are showing a genuine willingness to listen to the concerns and respond positively to them – something that no other county council in Wales has done.

‘We are very grateful to Dafydd Iwan, Dyfed Edwards and Richard Parry Hughes for the chance to discuss this situation with them and with senior Council officers,’ said Aran Jones, Cymuned’s Chief Executive, ‘and we believe that they have worked hard and sincerely to find the best way forward for Gwynedd in the face of statutory obligations coming from the Assembly. They recognise that there is scope to improve the current report, and we are looking forward to helping with that process.’

Cymuned believes that the Assembly have not done enough to ensure suitable funding for the education sector in Wales, and that this has dangerously limited options available to county councils. Cymuned also believes that there is a need for individual communities to develop new and creative ideas for ways in which they themselves can help keep some schools open.

‘It was possible for the poor communities of rural Wales to build hundreds and hundreds of chapels without any kind of financial support from the Government a hundred years and more ago,’ said Aran Jones. ‘It’s time for us to look at radical new ways of sustaining schools and communities that are not so dependent on public money – providing houses for teachers, for example. The present situation is not sustainable, and finding the right way to a better future is a direct challenge to us all.’

Councillor Dafydd Iwan said: ‘We had a very positive meeting with the representatives of Cymuned, and we are very pleased that they agree with the way Plaid Cymru and Gwynedd Council are leading on this difficult matter. We hope the decision of the full Council next week will be the start of a new period of consultation on the report, and it is important that we are all prepared to listen and to adapt our positions. We cannot remain as we are, but we have to ensure the future of as many schools as possible in our communities, and we look forward to working together with Cymuned and everyone else to achieve the aim of providing a first-class education system for the children of Gwynedd.’

The housing and communities pressure group Cymuned has called on the National Assembly to respond to comments made by Sir William Proby, chairman of the National Trust, who believes that the Trust should defend green spaces against developers. At the same time, the Trust in Wales is pushing on with unpopular plans to get planning permission for 223 houses on green spaces by the village of Rhostyllen, in Wrexham, where a local campaign has been formed at www.Rhostyllen.com to fight against the proposals.

‘It looks as though the Trust wants to prevent development in England at the same times as making a profit out of the housing crisis in Wales,’ says Carrie Harper, Cymuned’s representative in Rhostyllen, ‘and we believe that this is immoral and unfair to Wales. We are asking the Assembly to call on the Trust for a statement that they will defend the green spaces of Wales every bit as passionately as they do in England.’

The Trust is seeking planning permission to build 223 houses in order to be able to sell the land for a higher price to a private developer, and raise money towards an endowment fund for the Erddig estate. They claim that there was no original endowment fund – but they sold 63 acres of Erddig land for almost £1 million in the 70s. They have not yet revealed where that significant fund disappeared to.

Tara Green, Rhostyllen Residents Committee secretary, says, ‘Rhostyllen is proud to be part of Wales, and it isn’t fair for us to have to accept large scale developments like this, which aren’t for local need at all, while places similar to Rhostyllen in England get defended. We don’t want to see our village turned into a playground for wealthy people who don’t even come from Rhostyllen.’

Members of Cymuned and the Rhostyllen Residents Committee will be welcoming ‘Sir William Proby’ to a protest in Wrecsam town centre on Saturday (10/11/07) at 2.00pm against the National Trust’s plans to build 223 houses on Erddig land by Rhostyllen (see www.Rhostyllen.com). Last week, Sir William, chairman of the National Trust, said that he wanted to see the Trust buying land in order to prevent development on green and open spaces. On Saturday, a mannequin will be temporarily representing Sir William to show that his point of view is strongly against the proposed development in Rhostyllen.

‘We believe that Sir William is absolutely right to warn against over-development,’ says Carrie Harper, Cymuned’s representative in Rhostyllen, ‘and although he hasn’t yet responded to our request for a meeting, we are confident that he would be very supportive of what we’re trying to protect in Rhostyllen. With luck, maybe the real Sir William will come with us next time!’

The Trust is seeking planning permission to build 223 houses in order to be able to sell the land for a higher price to a private developer, and raise money towards an endowment fund for the Erddig estate. They claim that there was no original endowment fund – but they sold 63 acres of Erddig land for almost £1 million in the 70s. They have not yet revealed where that significant fund disappeared to.

Tara Green, secretary of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee, said ‘The Trust has got £900 million in the bank – why can’t they give a tiny amount of that to set up a new fund for Erddig, instead of forcing our small community to pay the price because they wasted the original fund?’

‘Not on Erddig’ campaigners believe that the National Trust must choose between profiteering in Rhostyllen or speaking out against over-development. If they attempt both, it will be impossible for anyone to take them seriously.

Communities and housing group Cymuned (www.cymuned.net) have today invited Sir William Proby, chairman of the National Trust, to join the campaign against the National Trust’s request for planning permission to build 223 houses on greenbelt land at Rhostyllen near Wrexham in the north of Wales (see www.Rhostyllen.com). Sir William announced on Saturday that the National Trust intends to buy more greenbelt land to protect it from developers; but in Wales, the Trust has ignored appeals for it not to build on one of the last pieces of open green space in Rhostyllen.

‘We believe that Sir William is an honourable man who is right to warn against the dangers of over-development,’ said Carrie Harper, Cymuned’s representative in Rhostyllen, ‘and we believe that he will be shocked and disappointed when he learns what is being done by the National Trust in Rhostyllen. We are offering him an invitation to join our campaign against this blatant destruction of the greenbelt, and we would be very happy to meet him in order to draw to his attention what looks dangerously like an example of profiteering.’

Representatives of the National Trust in Wales have claimed that the Rhostyllen development is needed to make up for the lack of an endowment fund for the Erddig estate – but 63 acres of land were sold in the 1970s to make an endowment fund of almost £1m, and it is not clear where that money has gone.

Tara Green, secretary of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee, said “The National Trust has an investment fund of nearly £900 million, yet they expect our small community to put up with a large, intrusive development because they need the extra money. But then they say they can afford to buy up more greenbelt land to protect it from developers!”

‘Not on Erddig’ campaigners believe that the National Trust must choose between profiteering in Rhostyllen or speaking out against over-development. If they attempt both, it will be impossible for anyone to take them seriously.

For more details, please contact Cymuned on 01758-612712.

Notes to editors:

Sir William Proby’s statements can be seen at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7076256.stm

Private Eye challenged the disappearance of the £1m endowment fund in edition 1193 (14th – 27th of September 2007)

‘Not on Erddig’ campaigners will gather at 2.00 o’clock this Wednesday (31/10/07) to express their disgust at National Trust plans to build a ‘new village’ near the Erddig Estate in Rhostyllen, Wrecsam by protesting outside the Trust’s Welsh head office in Llandudno. Protestors will be wearing Halloween costumes and carrying placards reading ‘Rhostyllen R.I.P.’

The National Trust have claimed publicly that a majority of local people are favour of the development and that the money raised by the proposed development is needed to secure the future of Erddig Hall and the surrounding estate.

Carrie Harper, local spokesperson for the campaign group Cymuned, said “This demonstration shows the strength of feeling against the proposed development amongst local people. Hundreds have signed the petition at www.Rhostyllen.com and the site is receiving from 60 to 80 visits a day. It is simply not true that a majority of local people are in favour of this proposed development. The Trust’s claim that the money is needed to secure the future of Erddig is also very misleading. By their own admission, the running costs of the estate are met by admission fees and no work actually needs doing at the Hall. This organisation has some very difficult questions to answer.”

Tara Green, secretary of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee, said “The National Trust has an investment fund of nearly £900 million, yet they expect our small community to put up with a large, intrusive development as they claim they need the extra money. How many charities have £900 million in the bank? Their so-called justification for this development baffles me completely.”

‘Not on Erddig’ campaigners have been working since February to raise awareness about the Trust’s plans, which they say will cause many problems to the existing community. Increased traffic, environmental damage, pressure on services and loss of identity are just some of the concerns raised. Many local people are angry at the fact that this new village will be purpose-built for commuters and that local people will not be able to afford the state-of-the-art properties.

Local campaigner Sean Leech said “Why should our community suffer just so the National Trust can make yet more money? Is it even appropriate that an organisation of this nature partake in property development?”

Campaigners say they are determined to stop the development going ahead. If the National Trust will not see sense, they intend to fight to the highest level to ensure the protection of their community.

For more details, please contact Cymuned on 01758-612712.

Cymuned believes that the Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) is right to request the Rural Affairs Department of the Assembly Government to take over responsibility for village schools in order to develop them as key resources for community regeneration. Local education authorities would then be able to rent the capacity needed to maintain the school, removing financial pressure from the argument and helping to safeguard one of the most important resources of any rural community.

Sharing spare capacity with local groups and small businesses could also have a positive effect in terms of emphasising to school children the importance of entrepreneurialism, something that other Assembly projects have already attempted to do.

‘We support this policy suggestion from the Cymdeithas,’ says Aran Jones, Cymuned’s Chief Executive, ‘because we believe it offers an inventive way forwards that could help solve one of the most serious problems facing rural communities.’

Cymuned will be working in partnership with Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg to hold a protest outside the main entrance to Gwynedd Council in Caernarfon at 1 o’clock on Thursday afternoon (25/10/07) to enable families and governors to speak out against the Schools Transport Plan that will be discussed that afternoon by the the Council’s Children and Young People scrutiny committee. The two organisations will be calling on the committee to refuse to pass the plan, and to request officers to return to discussions with all the affected governing boards in order to produce an alternative and more positive way forward.

For more details, please contact Cymuned on 01758-612712.