Pretty Welsh seaside town wants to BAN English people from moving – ‘we don’t want you’ | UK | News
A storm is brewing on a scenic coastal island in Wales amid claims Plaid Cymru councilors want to stop British families from moving to the area. Councilors in Anglesey used a council meeting to raise concerns that people living in council houses in England were switching houses via Facebook to move to the area.
Representatives speaking at the council meeting expressed concern that an influx from England could cause irreparable damage to the Welsh language, heritage and culture. Fears have led to calls for action to limit people’s ability to move homes via social media. During the meeting, Major Arfon Wyn said: “There are still a lot of houses in Aberffraw that are empty and need to be let to people who really need homes.
“What worries me is that people in beautiful coastal areas can swap houses, so to speak, with people in English towns via Facebook.
“The impact on the Welsh language could be significant, particularly in my area where there are some nice places to retire.”
Under the rules, a council house or housing association tenant can exchange homes with other social tenants through a mutual exchange scheme.
Concerns were also voiced by local residents who feared that the British influx into the area would fuel nationalist sentiment and erode the strong sense of Gaelic culture.
Dog walker Emlyn Jones also told The Mail: “Many Welsh people can’t buy homes where they come from because the British are coming in with more money.
“We don’t want any more British here.”
Tensions are not limited to those who want to move to the area permanently, with visits from tourists also triggering the anger of many locals.
While tourism provides around 20% of all employment in the region, around two million people come here annually, angering locals who feel not enough is being done to protect residents from the consequences of high visitor numbers.
Anti-British graffiti bearing phrases such as “Fuck your second home” and “Death to Airbnb” was spotted in a popular tourist area earlier this year.
