NEWPORT City Council has set out a five-year plan to raise the profile of the Welsh language and make it a “language for all”

The strategy was backed by senior councillors at a cabinet meeting on Friday, February 18.

All local authorities in Wales are required to promote the language as part of the Welsh Government’s aim to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050.

In a public consultation which took place between September and November 2021, 55 per cent of respondents said they had no interest in learning the language.

According to the Annual Population Survey, 22.6 per cent of people in Newport speak Welsh – lower than the Wales-wide average of 29.5 per cent.

At the cabinet meeting, Cllr David Mayer, cabinet member for community and resources, said: “I do know the national anthem and I am proud to be Welsh, but I do wish I could learn the language better. I did try during the lockdown but I didn’t get very far.”

Cllr Jason Hughes, the council’s Welsh language champion, spoke at the meeting in both Welsh and English. He said that the council’s strategy was education-focused.

By September 2032, the council aims for 11.1 per cent of pupils in Year 1 (aged five to six) to be educated through the medium of Welsh. Currently, that figure is 5.1 per cent.

Welsh language school places are currently under-subscribed in Newport, but the council has appointed an officer to encourage uptake.

Another part of the council’s strategy is to increase visibility of the language in informal settings outside of school and work. An example of this is the council’s partnership with Dragons Rugby region, where bilingual match day programmes will be introduced.

The Welsh Language Strategy 2022-2027 will now be presented at a full council meeting on March 1.