80 Homes Proposed For Former Wrexham Factory Site

Eighty new homes could be developed on a former Wrexham factory site if planning permission is given the go ahead.

In an application submitted to Wrexham Council it is proposed that 80 new homes are developed on the former Brother Industries site on Croesnewydd Road.

The site itself has remained vacant since 2004 and has previously been subject to two large scale planning applications for housing developments before – with outline planning permission for residential developments approved in 2007 and 2010.

Details about these applications are provided within the Design and Access Statement, which notes that ‘economic circumstances dictated against these permissions being implemented’.

In 2012 a further application for the site was submitted, however was refused permission in 2013 because ‘it was not possible to agree an approach on the issue of affordable housing’.

The recent application is a resubmission of the previous application and consists of a proposed 80 houses, instead of the 77 which had been put forward in the 2012 application.

The previous application was ultimately refused because ‘it was not possible to agree an approach to the issue of affordable housing.

With regards to this application, it is stated: “The cost to the council is that they have to forego the affordable housing that they might normally hope for from a site such as this. However, if the Council does not accept the proposal, then it still gets no affordable housing because no development would go ahead on the site (nor does it achieve and facilitate the other benefits of the development).

“In these terms it could be said there is cost associated with development being permitted.:

Details of the properties are provided within the Design and Access Statement, with 14 of the homes to consist of two bedrooms, 32 homes to consist of three bedrooms and the remaining 34 properties would comprise of four bedrooms.

The Design and Access Statement notes: “The scale of the development is consistent with the scale of the development within the nearby Pentre Bach development and is therefore considered to be appropriate to the character of the area.”

The statement continues onto say that the majority of the houses would be made up of two storeys – however there would also be six, three storey apartments.

It is also noted that 160 parking spaces would also be provided on the development.

Along with the development of the eighty homes, access to the site will be provided by a ‘remodelled junction’ at the point of the existing access. Two pedestrian access points are also proposed for Croesnewydd Road and the southern end of the site.

The Design and Access Statement concludes: “The development would make a significant contribution to housing land supply and provide new homes that the applicants believe will be attractive to the market.

“The cost to the owners is that they have to accept a substantial loss on this site, but as a development company they will at least have the opportunity to move on and look for other opportunities.”

The Planning Application is expected to go before Wrexham’s Planning Committee at a later date.