People are feeling “pushed out” of Ceredigion by having the Welsh language “forced on them”, responses to a consultation on a council strategy to boost Welsh speaking numbers in the county have revealed.

A report on a consultation held into Ceredigion County Council’s Draft Welsh Language Promotion Strategy 2024-2029 will go before Cabinet members on 3 December.

The report reveals that almost half of respondents to the consultation disagreed with the aims of the plan, with responses saying that “changing English medium school to Welsh medium schools in Ceredigion” and requiring language skills for Ceredigion jobs are “examples of forcing Welsh upon people.”

Responses said that “both languages should be treated equally and that English should be taught just as much, especially if learners pursue careers or further education outside of Wales.”

The report says there is a “perception that there is too much emphasis on the Welsh language which is driving people out of the county.”

“Some of these comments have come from people who feel as though they themselves are being pushed out of the county,” the report said.

Respondents also said the money spent on the strategy could be used for better purposes such as “filling potholes” or improving bin collections.

“It was noted a number of times that there shouldn’t be as much emphasis or money spent on this Strategy and the Welsh language given the number of challenges that are affecting residents negatively,” the report said.

The results show the majority of those who agreed with the vision identified as Welsh, while the majority of those who disagreed with the vision identified as British.

The report said this “highlights a divergence in support for the vision according to a respondent’s preferred language and national identity.”

The strategy aims to boost the percentage of Welsh speakers by 1.5 per cent from 45.3 per cent in 2021 to 46.8 per cent in 2029.

“This will result in an increase of 612 Welsh speakers on the baseline of 2021,” the strategy outlines.

“This means that by 2029 there should be 32,292 Welsh-speaking residents in Ceredigion.”

The strategy, which aims to “promote the Welsh language and facilitate the use of Welsh within the wider area,” follows census data from 2021 which saw the number of Welsh speakers in Ceredigion drop by more than 3,000 people from 2011.

The 2021 census shows that 45.3 per cent of Ceredigion residents consider themselves Welsh speakers, compared to 47.3 per cent in 2011.

Ceredigion remains the third highest authority in Wales for the percentage of Welsh speakers, behind Gwynedd and Anglesey – the only two areas where more than 50 per cent of residents speak Welsh.

The goal for the new strategy, the report said, is to “increase the use of the language in all aspects of county life.”

“Our vision is that the Welsh language and Welshness will belong to everyone in Ceredigion and will be a source of pride among all residents of the county,” the council report added.