AN ACCLAIMED poet was among Welsh language activists who began a hunger strike yesterday over planning laws described as a “charter for big developers.”

Mererid Hopwood became the first woman to be crowed National Eisteddfod chairwoman in 2001 after winning the prestigious national poetry competition.

And she is one of 20 Cymdeithas yr Iaith Cymraeg (Welsh Language Society) activists taking part in the 24-hour fast in protest against the Welsh government’s Planning Bill.

Ms Hopwood said the Bill would “put the power in the hands of fewer people” if it is passed into law by Welsh Assembly members today.

“The Planning Bill answers the demands of big developers not the needs of the Welsh language in local communities,” she said.

Cymdeithas believe stripping councils of planning powers will allow developers to build huge new estates that would see Welsh relegated to a second language in its heartlands.

They also say it will allow developers to dodge their responsibility to meet local social housing needs.

Ministers are expected to accept an amendment that would make an impact assessment on the language necessary.

But just 16 of 50,000 planning applications were subject to such scrutiny between 2010 and 2012, according to Cymdeithas.

Ms Hopwood added: “The Bill still needs to include a requirement for language impact assessments on substantial developments and local authorities need to set housing targets according to local needs instead of estimates from the centre.”

Members of the group, which also include church minister Cen Llwyd, will take their protest to the steps of the Welsh Assembly this afternoon.

The Welsh government has insisted that Cymdeithas was consulted about the Bill.