Posted: Thu 30th Mar 2017

First Minister Responds To ‘Dismal Jimmy’ After Local AM’s Letter

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Thursday, Mar 30th, 2017

Local AM Lesley Griffiths has offered to help facilitate discussions between Wrexham Football Club and the Welsh Government while raising historic issues with the First Minister of Wales.

Readers will be aware of the Dismal Jimmy football publication that was revived earlier this year – with the publication containing historical information about the various owners and deals involving Wrexham Football Club and the Racecourse Stadium.

The fanzine issued two ‘demands’, firstly asking that Wrexham Council ‘enforce the terms of the unilateral undertaking’, and secondly challenging the Welsh Assembly to ‘call in’ the planning application and conduct a review.

Wrexham.com also re-asked a set of questions to Wrexham Council, with the eventual answers perhaps raising further questions in terms of how a ‘probe’ announced back in 2011 was now entirely unknown.

Local AM and Wrexham fan Lesley Griffiths wrote to the First Minister Carwyn Jones on the issues raised and has since had a letter back.

This week Ms Griffiths said: “Many constituents and Wrexham AFC supporters will be aware of the historic planning issues surrounding the Wrexham Village development and the Racecourse Ground, which have resurfaced in recent weeks largely thanks to the detailed documentation of the Dismal Jimmy fanzine.

“Supporters’ expectations were raised by the prospect of the original development and we have all been disappointed with how events have since unfolded. The general public must have confidence in their local representatives and the official, planning procedures undertaken.

“People will quite rightly expect Wrexham Council personnel to work for the good of the town and fans deserve to know who is responsible and accountable for the decisions that were made.

“The issue has weighed heavily on Wrexham AFC for long enough and as the town’s Assembly Member, I will do all I can to assist the club. Having written to the First Minister on the matter, I have received a response which outlines the relevant statutory processes the club and constituents can explore, and I have corresponded with Wrexham AFC officials.”

In the response we have seen from the First Minister Carwyn Jones points to the Unilateral Undertaking between the developers and Wrexham Council, stating that complaints should be made to the relevant Wrexham Council Officer in the first instance.

Subsequent follow ups, if required, are suggested to the Council’s Monitoring Officer who could report to Councillors if they believe legislation or codes of practices have been breeched.

Mr Jones helpfully suggests to those concerned that they could ‘take matters up with the Public Service Ombudsman for Wales who can investigate allegations that individuals have been subject to a person injustice as a result of maladministration’.

Mr Jones does add a caveat that any battle could be moral rather than monetary, adding “The Ombudsman cannot, however, instruct an authority to reconsider a planning decision it has made” adding that such matters are entirely for Wrexham Council itself.

The First Minster adds the following supportive note at the bottom of the letter, with some personal contact information redacted:

Lesley Griffiths said: “In the First Minister’s letter, the Welsh Government has expressed its support, in principle, to the development of Wrexham AFC and I am keen to help facilitate discussions between the club and the Government.”



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