Plaid Cymru has temporarily suspended Cllr Gareth Roberts after he raised concerns at a planning meeting that immigration was harming the Welsh language
20:33, 02 May 2026Updated 20:34, 02 May 2026
Cllr Gareth Roberts pictured after becoming Gwynedd councillor for Bangor’s Dewi ward(Image: Plaid Cymru)
Plaid Cymru has suspended a councillor who said immigration was damaging the Welsh language. The party has launched an investigation into remarks made by Cllr Gareth Roberts following a number of complaints the party received.
The Gwynedd councillor claimed his home city of Bangor was “no longer a Welsh-speaking area” and alleged that local schools were finding it increasingly difficult to manage the growing number of different languages being spoken by pupils.
He made the remarks during a planning committee meeting which was examining proposals for 25 new homes in Chwilog on the Llŷn Peninsula.
Overruling officers’ recommendations, committee members voted to reject the application amid community concerns that it could have a detrimental impact on the area and reduce the proportion of Welsh speakers.
During the meeting Cllr Roberts raised broader concerns about the Welsh language, suggesting that as many as 1,000 migrants had settled in the Bangor area over the past five years, North Wales Live reports.
He said: “Bangor is no longer a Welsh-speaking area – it was when I was child, it is no longer. I see Bangor’s Welsh language population diminishing on a daily basis, in every aspect of my life in Bangor – I have lived in Bangor all my life.
“Certainly, within the last five years, I’ve seen hundreds if not 1,000 more people coming here to live, migrants.”
Referring to his former primary school, he added: “I was told there are 42 different languages being spoken there – 42! They are really struggling to cope with that number of new languages and to implement Welsh as a language option.”
Cllr Roberts claimed that people living in houses of multiple occupation in Bangor would eventually seek their own properties.
Arguing that there was insufficient housing in Bangor to meet demand, he suggested this would lead people to relocate to surrounding areas – including villages such as Chwilog.
He added: “That’s going to diminish the Welsh language considerably. So, I can speak from my experience and tell you I’m very concerned about the impacts of the Welsh language in Chwilog and in the whole of this area.”
Plaid Cymru confirmed that following a number of complaints Cllr Roberts had subsequently resigned from the party’s Gwynedd group.
Having served as representative for Bangor’s Dewi ward for 11 years he now appears on Cyngor Gwynedd’s website as an “individual member”, meaning a councillor not affiliated with any political group.
Plaid backs the Welsh Government’s Nation of Sanctuary policy, introduced in 2019 following a three-month consultation which found “substantial support” for the initiative.
The policy has no bearing on immigration regulations or the number of asylum seekers placed in Wales. Rather, it assists refugees in accessing healthcare and educational services while encouraging integration through the learning of both English and Welsh.
Cllr Robert told BBC Wales he supports migration and that Bangor had always been a multicultural city, adding that his remarks were intended to draw attention to the impact of the housing shortage there.
“I’m concerned for the people that come to this country who really want to integrate,” he said. “We’re failing them if they don’t get the chance to learn and speak Welsh properly and help them get good jobs. It’s so hard for the schools, but we have to have these discussions.”
Plaid Cymru confirmed that Cllr Roberts’ party membership had been temporarily suspended following a formal complaint lodged in response to his remarks. A spokesperson added: “This is a neutral action until an investigation is carried out.”
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