In many areas of Wales - especially in the heartlands - a lot of chapels are declining because of the lack of Welsh speakers

Reverend D.Ben Rees

Only this month a new pressure group was launched by a group of academics and poets to defend Welsh-speaking communities from erosion of the language.

Now writing in the current affairs magazine Barn the Reverend D. Ben Rees says that inward migration impacts on rural communities in England as well as Wales.

But Reverend Rees, who is secretary to the Board of the Presbyterian Church of Wales says that 'in-migrants who speak English move to the middle of communities that have been naturally Welsh-speaking for generations.

He adds that Welsh-language chapels and churches cannot continue to worship unless people speak and understand the language.

'Hot potato'

"In many areas of Wales - especially in the heartlands - a lot of chapels are declining because of the lack of Welsh speakers," said Reverend Rees.

He said the language issue was a "hot potato", but added he understood Councillor Glyn's position on it.

"I think we have got a lot of people like Simon Glyn," he said.

Reverend Rees is calling for immediate discussions on how to tackle the problem, ahead of a meeting arranged in Cardiff at the end of September.

Then he wants to see a delegation to the Welsh Assembly to put pressure on them to appoint an independent commission to report back within twelve months.

His comments follows controversial remarks made by the Plaid Cymru councillor Simon Glyn about the effects of English in-migration.

This led to an inquiry by Plaid Cymru which has recommended changes in planning laws including a 200% council tax on second homes.

Meanwhile earlier this month a new pressure group was set up to defend Welsh-speaking communities from erosion of the language.

The assembly is urged to set up an independent commission

Cymuned - "community" in Welsh - is campaigning for the preservation of the language in its heartlands by giving locals priority on housing and job lists.

The group has been founded by academics and poets who believe the language will die out within 10 years if steps are not taken, and is the result of months of debate and consultation.

Cymuned has accused the Welsh Assembly of failing to address the decline of Welsh in its heartlands.

They have called on national and local politicians to use "crisis measures" to deal with the migration of English speakers to Welsh-speaking parts of Wales.