THE WELSH government was threatened yesterday with legal action over a planning Bill that campaigners described as a “multinational’s dream,” writes Luke James.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) is raising cash needed to take Labour ministers to court over their plans to strip local councils of planning powers and hand them to civil servants.

The group say the move would damage “fragile” Welsh speaking communities and allow building without any commitment to affordable housing.

And Cymdeithas have received advice from a top lawyer that there is a strong case against the Bill.

“There’s no doubt that this planning Bill is a developer’s dream,” Cymdeithas spokesman Jamie Bevan told the Star.

“It’s designed to give the free market complete control and will totally undermine efforts to protect our environment, our language and will increase poverty levels.

“It’s a rich multinational’s dream — a planning law written by fat cats for fat cats.”