A new council estate exclusively for Welsh speakers has been proposed in Wales. Trefor and Llanaelhaearn community council said it would back plans for 15 affordable homes on the North Wales coast if they were reserved for people who can speak the mother tongue, to help preserve “the soul of our nation”.

Housing association Grŵp Cynefin requested the build in Trefor village, Gwynedd, a region with the highest proportion of Welsh speakers in Wales. The 2021 Census revealed 64.4% of its 120,000 residents aged 3 or older could speak Welsh. However, it has not been met with open arms across the board. Reform Wales argued that homes should be for all Welsh people, regardless of “whether they speak Welsh or English”.

Malcolm Evans, a Welsh speaker among Trefor’s 1,000 residents, thought the idea would be popular, but he told the BBC it could be divisive, adding: “I think it will be unfair on some people.”

While the plan may be divisive, it is not unlawful. The community council confirmed it has written to planning chiefs at Gwynedd council to back the proposal.

Trefor and Llanaelhaearn council said: “We understand that the Welsh language commissioner has received a legal opinion, which states unequivocally that it would not be illegal to make ‘able to speak Welsh’ a condition for the letting of social housing.”

The community council described it as a “golden opportunity to be truly progressive and innovative” by being the first planning authority in Wales to impose a language condition on a new social housing estate.

It added: “This can give a decisive and solid start to the preservation of the soul of our nation and the few remaining fragile areas.

“We beg for your willingness to do so and to show our people that Cyngor Gwynedd’s mission for our language is genuine, sincere and uncompromising.”

The plans state there would be a mix of “fully affordable” homes, including social rented, intermediate affordable rental and part ownership.

Osian Llywelyn, the deputy Welsh language commissioner, stressed that while it was not unlawful to have a language condition, it cannot override need, such as prioritising homeless applicants.

Wales is actively working to increase the number of Welsh speakers through the Cymraeg 2050 strategy, which aims to reach one million Welsh speakers by 2050, nearly double the current rate.

The minister’s foreword in the strategy states: “The Welsh language is one of the treasures of Wales. It is part of what defines us as people and as a nation.”

Key methods include mandatory Welsh-medium education, promoting use in the workplace, investing in digital infrastructure, and supporting community initiatives.

The 2021 Census showed the number of Welsh speakers had decreased slightly since the 2011 Census, to 538,300 residents aged three or older, equivalent to 17.8% of the population.

A Cyngor Gwynedd spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Cyngor Gwynedd’s Planning Service has received an application to build 15 affordable homes in Trefor.

“The report that will be presented to the committee takes into consideration all the planning comments that were received as part of the public consultation and the matter will be discussed by the planning committee on Monday, 2 March.”