Detailed plans for Llay housing development recommended for approval

A decision on detailed plans for 18 new homes in Wrexham is set to be made next week.

Planning committee members will next week be asked to approve the reserved matters application for the housing development on land near the Llay Miner’s Welfare on Llay New Road.

Outline plans for the site, which have been submitted by Gower Homes, were approved by councillors two years ago.

In a report due for debate next week, councillors are reminded that outline planning permission for the site has already been granted and can’t be revisited.

The plans themselves include the development of 18 houses and the creation of new access from Llay New Road.

It is the second application to have been submitted in relation to the site, with initial plans in 2015 described as being ‘a bland and poor standard of development and would provide no built frontage to Llay New Road’.

The reserved matters application – which includes details on the layout, scale and appearance of the development – has been recommended for approval by the council’s head of environment and planning, Lawrence Isted.

However a series of concerns have been raised by Llay Community Council, who say that none of the houses in the development are classed as ‘affordable housing’.

They also note that ‘none of the proposed dwellings are one/two bedroom properties’, which they say are “precisely the type of homes that the Llay Community in general are desperate for, especially those trying to set up their first home.”

Such concerns have been echoed by Llay councillor Bryan Apsley, who says: “We are short of one and two bedroom homes in Llay and this proposal does not help that shortage.”

He adds that the entrance to the estate looks unsafe due to how busy Llay New Road is.

Commenting on the concerns raised about the lack of affordable housing, Mr Isted says: “Whilst noting the comments made by both the Community Council and local member regarding the provision of affordable housing, policy H7 only applies to developments of 25 or more dwellings.

“The extant planning permission is for a maximum of 18 dwellings and therefore has no such requirements imposed upon it. Affordable housing provision is therefore not a material consideration in this instance.

“The proposed development comprises of a mix of three and four bedroom properties. There are no two bedroom properties proposed.

“The UDP (unitary development plan) does not contain policies that specify a specific mix of house types on individual developments therefore the fact that no one or two bedroom properties are proposed is not a valid reason to withhold approval of the reserved matters.”

He adds: “I am satisfied that the appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the proposed development is acceptable and will not give rise unacceptable impacts to residential amenity, to the setting of two Grade II listed buildings or existing mature trees.”

Earlier this month the final stage plans for 362 homes on land at Gresford Road in Llay were also approved.

The application will be debated by councillors at 4pm on Monday 3rd September.