The Other Event

The other event staged in Rhuthun/Ruthin on Saturday, other than Top Dre, was a modest rally calling for changes in the national planning regime.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg chose Rhuthun county hall as the venue for a protest that cited the huge proposed development at Bodelwyddan as an example of their claim that developers' profits come ahead of local needs.

If you think that Bodelwyddan is about as opposite to an example of Welsh culture as you can find, think again. There's a declared 20 per cent of the population who speak Welsh. And, for what is basically a modern, overspill town for Y Rhyl, that fact rather surprised me.

It's pretty universal. No matter the place, there are clear tensions between where people want to live and those living there who wish to raise the drawbridge. We saw this during Glasdir's genesis. Bodelwyddan is a "new" village serving as a dormitory settlement. In its favour is admirable access by road east, west and north.

Other places also serving as dormitory settlements aren't so well off. Rhuthun is one such place where links by road are somewhat the poorer. If you're going to deposit a large number of houses, which type of location is the better? What are the alternatives? Has Rhuthun's character changed post-Glasdir, post Parc-Brynhyfryd & post-Bro Deg? Or have these settlements helped Rhuthun's sustainability?