Have your say on where houses, retail and employment should be placed in grand Wrexham plan

A public consultation which will help define the future locations of housing developments across Wrexham County Borough is now underway and open to your views.

The Deposit Local Development Plan (LDP) outlines the preferred sites across the county borough for housing, retail and employment developments

The plan makes provision for 8525 new homes up until 2028 – (including a 10% contingency allowance) to deliver a requirement for 7750 homes. It is also estimated that 4,200 new jobs could be created in Wrexham under the plan.

Wrexham Council’s Deposit Local Development Plan lays out the preferred development strategy up until 2028 and upon adoption it will replace the current adopted Unitary Development Plan (1996 – 2011) and be the basis for decisions on land use planning for county borough.

Work on the plan has been ongoing for several years, with what has been coined as LDP 1 rejected by a planning inspector in 2012.

The revised plan has now entered its final stages, with the public now invited to have their say.

A consultation for the LDP launched last week and will continue until May 31st. A series of public events are also scheduled to take place across the county borough.

During the next six weeks members of the public are invited to have their say on the plans – with responses reviewed before a final policy is submitted for Welsh Government consideration in November.

The Welsh Government will then go onto independently examine how sound and sustainable the plan is and will report back to the council. It is expected that is all goes to schedule, the plan would come into play in the spring of 2019 and will be monitored annually.

What’s in the Deposit Local Development Plan?

The Deposit LDP is described as focusing on “concentrating development allocations in the following sustainable locations as identified in the settlement hierarchy”:

– The Primary Key Settlement of Wrexham Town and Wrexham Industrial Estate including Key Strategic Site release for housing and employment
– The Key Settlements of Acrefair / Cefn Mawr, Chirk, Coedopeth, Gresford / Marford, Gwersyllt, Llay, Ruabon and Rhosllanerchrugog;
– The Local Service Centres of Bangor, Broughton, Brymbo, Glyn Ceiriog, Holt, Overton, Penley, Penycae, Rhostyllen and Rossett
– Tier 4 settlement of Rhosrobin, due to its proximity and accessibility to Wrexham Town

Two of the biggest pieces which have been allocated as potential development sites are land at lower Berse Farm at Ruthin Road and last east of Cefn Road.

An estimated minimum 3,180 homes could eventually be built between both sites.

With regards to development at Ruthin Road, the consultation explains that of the 1500 potential homes at the site, 200 will be delivered during the plan period. This would be dependent on works taking place at Junction 4 of the A483.

The site east of Cefn Road could see the most development between the two in the more immediate future, with 1580 homes expected to be delivered within the plan period up to 2018.

Schools, community facilities and public open space would also be expected to be developed on the sites.

Elsewhere in the town centre itself the site of Crown Buildings – which has been mooted for redevelopment or demolition – is also allocated as potential land for 71 housing units.

Other big land allocations include land adjoining Mold Road / near the B&Q Roundabout (375 units), land off the B5070 in Chirk (180 units), land north and south of Rossett Road in Rossett (137 units) and land at Llay New Road in Rhosrobin (79 units).

Land at Home Farm in Llay, which had planning permission granted by the Welsh Government on appeal, would also provide 365 properties.

Further information of other potential housing sites can be found in the public consultation.

Three sites in Llay, Brymbo and Hanmer are also allocated for the use of gypsy / traveller sites.

The plan also details potential strategic sites for business growth and employment, along with working alongside the Wrexham Town Centre Masterplan.

You can take part in the Deposit Local Development Plan consultation by visiting the Council’s LDP website here