English: As everyone else has done it, I'd like to declare that I'm a councillor - only for a few more days. I'd like to start by thanking my colleague Sam Rowlands for opening this debate and all my other colleagues for their comments so far. Though we have talked about the different issues facing our communities, I want to take this opportunity to talk about the system of centralised Government planning that we have here in Wales, and how it will always fail to adequately understand the future needs and wants of local communities. So, it will always fall short in providing effectively for them. Some failures we are seeing today in our communities are caused by the fact that the Welsh Government did not foresee the changes within communities five, 10 or even 15 years ago, and so did not develop appropriate policy. Moreover, the relatively slow process of legislating means that it takes several years before data is sufficiently collected, policy is written and then passed through the Chamber, which means that community cohesion is often lost or damaged long before steps are eventually taken. This then means that Government is always playing catch-up to restore what was lost, and people become apathetic to this system of Government. I believe what is really needed to help our local communities is the ability for them to more effectively decide what works best for them, and then Government to support them in a timely fashion, which allows for an agile community response to existential threats. This support could be a system of temporary legislation that is enacted in order to prevent problems from becoming worse, and that holds until more evidence is collected or a fuller legislative procedure is passed. Let's take Maindy velodrome as a working example. Cathays High School want to expand onto the site, and in so doing, they will destroy a local and historic community asset. The community are thus cornered by Cardiff Council, because if they do not agree to give up their much-loved velodrome, then there will be no or just limited upgrades to Cathays High School. I believe that it is wrong that a community should be put into such a position as this, because it creates long-lasting divisions, as some people will fight to save the velodrome and others will fight for the school upgrade. These divisions also become extremely personal. For example, those fighting to save the velodrome will undoubtedly and unfairly be accused of wanting to deprive children of an improved education. There is another issue in that local communities have no power to formally recognise and stop developments they perceive to have a negative impact. To take another example with Cowbridge old girls' school, there's overwhelming local support to save this building. The community wants it but it doesn't tick the right boxes for Cadw. The Deputy Minister responsible believes that the local community just has to lump it and lose local heritage that is important to them. It is fundamentally wrong that this community does not have the power to save this piece of local heritage, and I believe that they should be empowered by Welsh Government to repurpose this building, and then support their project rather than simply washing their hands of it. We therefore need greater empowerment of local communities to save what matters to them, and to use the power of Government, local or otherwise, to enforce it. So, rather than Government telling communities what they think they want, Government has a duty of care to respond to what the community actually wants. If we are here to help local communities to stay vibrant, healthy and dynamic, they must have the ability to prevent unwanted changes being forced upon them by Government and other outside influences. Mechanisms should be in place that can be enacted quickly to protect the community when a problem is identified, and communities should not have to fight so hard to get their voices heard. I believe that communities across Wales have been let down by the Welsh Government because it does not empower them. Instead, it puts so many obstacles in their way that they're encouraged not to bother, or simply just give up. Sometimes, the most financially efficient way for a council is not always best for the community, and we have to accept this if we are to protect local communities for the future. Thank you.
Welsh: Fel y mae pawb arall wedi'i wneud, hoffwn ddatgan fy mod yn gynghorydd - dim ond am ychydig ddyddiau eto. Hoffwn ddechrau drwy ddiolch i fy nghyd-Aelod, Sam Rowlands, am agor y ddadl ac i fy holl gyd-Aelodau eraill am eu sylwadau hyd yn hyn. Er ein bod wedi sôn am y gwahanol faterion sy'n wynebu ein cymunedau, hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i siarad am y system o gynllunio canolog gan y Llywodraeth sydd gennym yma yng Nghymru, a sut y bydd bob amser yn methu deall anghenion a dymuniadau cymunedau lleol ar gyfer y dyfodol yn ddigonol. Felly, bydd bob amser yn methu darparu'n effeithiol ar eu cyfer. Mae rhai o'r methiannau a welwn heddiw yn ein cymunedau yn deillio o'r ffaith na wnaeth Llywodraeth Cymru ragweld y newidiadau mewn cymunedau bum, 10 neu hyd yn oed 15 mlynedd yn ôl, ac felly ni wnaeth ddatblygu polisi priodol. At hynny, mae'r broses gymharol araf o ddeddfu yn golygu ei bod yn cymryd sawl blwyddyn i ddata gael ei gasglu'n ddigonol, i bolisi gael ei ysgrifennu a chael ei basio wedyn drwy'r Siambr, sy'n golygu bod cydlyniant cymunedol yn aml yn cael ei golli neu ei niweidio ymhell cyn i gamau gael eu cymryd yn y pen draw. Mae hyn wedyn yn golygu bod y Llywodraeth bob amser yn gorfod dal i fyny i adfer yr hyn a gollwyd, ac mae pobl yn mynd yn ddi-hid ynghylch y system hon o Lywodraeth. Credaf mai'r hyn sydd ei angen mewn gwirionedd i helpu ein cymunedau lleol yw'r gallu iddynt benderfynu'n fwy effeithiol beth sy'n gweithio orau iddynt hwy, ac yna i'r Llywodraeth eu cefnogi mewn modd amserol, sy'n caniatáu ar gyfer ymateb cymunedol ystwyth i fygythiadau dirfodol. Gallai'r cymorth hwn fod yn system o ddeddfwriaeth dros dro a roddir mewn grym er mwyn atal problemau rhag gwaethygu, ac sy'n para hyd nes y cesglir mwy o dystiolaeth neu hyd nes y caiff gweithdrefn ddeddfwriaethol lawnach ei phasio. Beth am ddefnyddio felodrom Maendy fel enghraifft ymarferol. Mae Ysgol Uwchradd Cathays eisiau ehangu i'r safle, ac wrth wneud hynny, byddant yn dinistrio ased cymunedol lleol a hanesyddol. Felly, mae'r gymuned wedi'i chornelu gan Gyngor Caerdydd, oherwydd os nad ydynt yn cytuno i ildio eu felodrom poblogaidd, ni wneir unrhyw waith uwchraddio i Ysgol Uwchradd Cathays, neu ddim ond gwaith uwchraddio cyfyngedig. Credaf ei bod yn anghywir rhoi cymuned mewn sefyllfa o'r fath, oherwydd mae'n creu rhaniadau hirdymor, gan y bydd rhai pobl yn brwydro i achub y felodrom ac eraill yn ymladd dros uwchraddio'r ysgol. Mae'r rhaniadau hyn hefyd yn bersonol dros ben. Er enghraifft, nid oes amheuaeth y bydd y rhai sy'n brwydro i achub y felodrom yn cael eu cyhuddo'n annheg o fod eisiau amddifadu plant o addysg well. Mater arall yw'r ffaith nad oes gan gymunedau lleol bŵer i gydnabod yn ffurfiol ac atal datblygiadau y maent yn ystyried eu bod yn cael effaith negyddol. Enghraifft arall yw ysgol ferched y Bont-faen, ac mae cefnogaeth leol aruthrol i achub yr adeilad hwn. Mae'r gymuned ei eisiau ond nid yw'n ticio'r blychau cywir i Cadw. Mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog sy'n gyfrifol yn credu bod yn rhaid i'r gymuned leol wynebu colli treftadaeth leol sy'n bwysig iddynt. Mae'n sylfaenol anghywir nad oes gan y gymuned hon bŵer i achub y darn hwn o dreftadaeth leol, a chredaf y dylai Llywodraeth Cymru eu grymuso i addasu'r adeilad hwn at ddibenion gwahanol, a chefnogi eu prosiect yn hytrach na throi ei cefnau. Felly, rydym angen grymuso cymunedau lleol yn well i achub yr hyn sy'n bwysig iddynt, a defnyddio pŵer y Llywodraeth, yn lleol neu fel arall, i'w orfodi. Felly, yn hytrach na bod y Llywodraeth yn dweud wrth gymunedau beth y maent hi'n credu y maent ei eisiau, mae gan y Llywodraeth ddyletswydd gofal i ymateb i'r hyn y mae'r gymuned ei eisiau mewn gwirionedd. Os ydym yma i helpu cymunedau lleol i aros yn hyfyw, yn iach ac yn ddeinamig, rhaid iddynt gael gallu i atal newidiadau nad oes mo'u heisiau rhag cael eu gorfodi arnynt gan y Llywodraeth a dylanwadau allanol eraill. Dylid rhoi mecanweithiau ar waith y gellir eu gweithredu'n gyflym i ddiogelu'r gymuned pan gaiff problem ei nodi, ac ni ddylai cymunedau orfod brwydro mor galed i sicrhau bod eu lleisiau'n cael eu clywed. Credaf fod cymunedau ledled Cymru wedi cael eu gadael i lawr gan Lywodraeth Cymru am nad yw'n eu grymuso. Yn hytrach, mae'n rhoi cymaint o rwystrau yn eu ffordd nes eu bod yn cael eu hannog i beidio â thrafferthu, neu i roi'r gorau iddi. Weithiau, nid y ffordd fwyaf effeithlon yn ariannol i gyngor yw'r ffordd orau i'r gymuned bob amser, a rhaid inni dderbyn hyn os ydym eisiau diogelu cymunedau lleol ar gyfer y dyfodol. Diolch yn fawr.