City's apology for drowned valley

BBC Wales can reveal that Liverpool council is close to making a formal apology for the drowning of a Welsh valley almost half a century ago.

Party leaders on the city council have agreed the wording of an apology to go before the council on 19 October.

Tryweryn, near Bala in Gwynedd, was flooded in 1965 to create the Tryweryn reservoir to supply water to Liverpool.

The flooding displaced the small Welsh -speaking community of Capel Celyn and caused bitter political controversy.

An act of Parliament was needed for the compulsory purchase orders for the 800 acres and the legislation was pushed through even though no Welsh MP voted for it.

The scheme stirred up a cauldron of nationalist indignation and a desperate fight to save the 100% Welsh-speaking community.

"The drowning of the village of Capel Celyn in the Tryweryn valley was one of the most important political events in Wales in the twentieth century," said BBC Wales Welsh affairs editor Vaughan Roderick.

"When Liverpool Council announced its plans, they faced united opposition in Wales. Thirty-five of the 36 Welsh MPs voted against the plans and Tryweryn itself became the site of demonstrations and bombing attacks on construction equipment.

"The failure of the attempts to stop the plans led to a rapid growth in nationalism and calls for devolution and in the space of less than a year Plaid Cymru was transformed from a tiny pressure group into a major political party.

"It would not be an exaggeration to say that the road to the National Assembly for Wales began in Tryweryn."

Welsh assembly First Minister Rhodri Morgan has welcomed the proposed apology, describing it as a very good step.

And Plaid Cymru parliamentary leader Elfyn Llwyd told BBC Wales that the apology "should be accepted in the fulsome way it is being offered".

"I am pleased it's come. It was a seminal moment in the history of Wales. It takes some guts to apologise and I'm pleased they have been able to do so.

"I hope they might take it a step further and contribute to a fitting memorial on the shores of the lake."

The resolution - to go before Liverpool's full council - will express remorse for the decision to flood the valley and for the insensitive way in which the matter was handled by the authorities.

It has come about a result of an intervention by the Liberal Democrat peer Lord Roberts of Llandudno who was saddened that Tryweryn was cited by many as a reason why the National Eisteddfod should not visit Liverpool.

His approach to the leader of the Liberal Democrat-controlled council led to the apology which is also backed by the Labour Party which controlled Liverpool at the time of the reservoirs construction.

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Power corrupts. Absolute power is even more fun

shame on them destroying a 100% welsh speaking village no wonder they say the welsh language is dieing out

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Power corrupts. Absolute power is even more fun

Holy crap. They flooded a village and moved an entire community full of only 100% Welsh speakers just foir a resevoir?

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00:01:23 | Griffin Vengance has been defeated by Shadow Stalker.

Proof that nagging really does work!

yeah the land was then sold to england without even one vote from welsh MPs which shouldnt happen thats like me selling someone elses socks while that person is still wearing them and without that persons permission

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Power corrupts. Absolute power is even more fun

You think thats bad.
In china, when complete next year, the 3 gorges dam Is going to drown 12 cities 140 towns, 1352 villages. Something like 2millon people will have to be resettled.

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be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves
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AIDG CONVERGENCE. WAS PART OF THE MUPPETSTORM.

but look at the population difference between china and wales

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Power corrupts. Absolute power is even more fun

Don't get me wrong I'm not condoning what happened in wales. Just comparing it to similar situations away from home.

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be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves
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AIDG CONVERGENCE. WAS PART OF THE MUPPETSTORM.

yeah but the situation in china i bet its not for example japan building the damn without china agreeing is it?

its most likely china building the damn for themselves on thier own land

whereas liverpool council built the damn without thinking of another countries land that they were going to be flooding they then rubbed salt in the wounds by selling themselves another countries land without that countries vote for it

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Power corrupts. Absolute power is even more fun

That is true

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be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves
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AIDG CONVERGENCE. WAS PART OF THE MUPPETSTORM.

Technically although Wales is it's own country (I am part Welsh for those of you who know me) it is a Protectorate of England, therefore under English "control". So theoretically the land is for England to do what it wants with, it's like occupying only more friendly.

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Make your move, reindeer games.

they still dont have the right to flood our land we may have the same government as england but it doesnt give england the right to buy land off wales without permission off wales cos technically that could be called theft

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Power corrupts. Absolute power is even more fun