‘Consider ban on new English-only schools in the city’

that every shop increases the status and use of the language.

He said: “While in some parts of Wales, planning policies have been central to helping protect the language, in Wales’ cities old planning terminology which refers to areas where Welsh should be part of the ‘social fabric’ of communities has made this harder.

“As a result, the Welsh language has not been treated as a material factor in deciding planning applications and how they might be able to support a bilingual city, either directly – through signage or street names – or indirectly through Section 106 community benefit payments.

“The council [is] due to bring forward revised supplementary planning guidance for shopfronts and signage later this year, setting out much more clearly the city’s expectations on bilingual shop signs.

“It cannot be right that German companies such as Lidl and Aldi have embraced our language in their own Welsh stores while many Welsh or English companies still do not. In light of current uncertainty over the application of Language Standards to the private sector, it is right that the council should take a lead on this in Cardiff where it possibly can. The consultation will be an opportunity to submit your views on this change.”

Mabli Jones, from the Cardiff branch of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: “We warmly welcome these comments. Phil Bale is very enthusiastic about the language and is very experienced. He has direct experience of managing the city.

“This is a great boost for our campaign to open 10 new Welsh-medium schools in the next four years, and we believe new schools should be Welsh-medium only.

“We have met the council several times to discuss education and planning matters, and Phil Bale is quite right to say that every shop and business should have Welsh signage. It’s an exciting agenda.”