CEREDIGION planners are trying to force a supermarket giant to translate its brand into Welsh before it opens its store in Aberystwyth.

Members of the council’s planning committee have told Marks and Spencer that its ‘Foodhall’ must be translated into Welsh as a condition of giving the go-ahead to all the other proposed signs in the store on Mill Street, due to open next spring.

Marks and Spencer say that, while every other sign in the store will be bilingual, the Foodhall is a brand, and as such won’t be translated.

Having every other sign in Welsh and English wasn’t enough for committee members, however, who voted through an amendment to in a bid to get the chain to alter the proposed Foodhall sign.

There is currently no law - planning or otherwise - forcing a store in Wales to have fully bilingual signage. Planning officer Jonathan Eurig told members: “We can’t force them to do it, only encourage them.”

But councillors said the company was “not doing enough” and imposed the condition of planning anyway.

Cllr Mark Strong told members: “Foodhall is not a brand it is a description, it should be translated.”

An M&S spokesperson said that the Foodhall would not be translated as it as a name and not a word, and that the company was “reviewing” the decision.

“Our property team is currently reviewing the planning committee’s decision and will be responding to the council in due course,” the spokesperson said.

““The term Foodhall is part of our brand signage and is not translated in any of our stores, in Wales or overseas.

“We’re really excited to be bringing the very best of M&S to the Aberystwyth community next spring, and are fully committed to supporting our Welsh-speaking customers.

"We’ve worked closely with the Welsh Language Commissioner to offer bilingual signage and service in all our stores across Wales, including adapting name badges so customers can easily identify our Welsh-speaking colleagues.”

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