Henblas Street developer’s bid to reduce affordable housing contribution rejected

Developers building more than 50 apartments in the town centre have lost in their bid to reduce their contribution towards affordable housing after being accused of misleading politicians.

Angry councillors said they wanted to take a stand after the Mandale Group, which is now working to create living space above shops on Henblas Square, attempted to get out of an already agreed condition.

Permission for the 55 town centre flats was granted in November as long as the Mandale Group provided a sum of around £300,000 towards the cost of affordable housing elsewhere in the county borough.

Members of Wrexham Council’s planning committee delayed the application to lessen the amount to just under £29,000 at a meeting in February after asking for clarification of the numbers.

It was heard for a second time on Monday afternoon as the firm reasserted that the original requirement would render the development unviable.

However, councillors raised strong objections after questioning the figures put before them.

Cllr Marc Jones, who represents the Grosvenor ward in which the apartments would stand, said: “I feel we’ve been misled into granting planning permission in the first place.

“I question whether we as a council are standing up to developers sufficiently. If the viability can be moved like a set of goalposts so easily, it does concern me that we’re being sold a pup basically.

“I have to say I’ve lost a lot of faith in any stats put in front of me after this experience.

“I can’t support this and I think we have to make a stand here because otherwise there’s a precedent.”

The development now faces an uncertain future with building work already well underway, but no longer having permission.

A revised viability appraisal put forward by the company showed a profit of just over £250,000 if the changes were allowed.

Council officers had recommended the lesser contribution for approval after highlighting that profit levels were an important consideration.

Earlier in the meeting they warned the authority was unlikely to win if there was an appeal against the decision taken by councillors.

Nevertheless, the majority chose to vote in favour of an alternative proposal put forward by Cllr Paul Pemberton to reject it.

Cllr Pemberton told the meeting: “Whether we’re been misled or lied to I don’t know, but it’s naughty. I think in this particular situation if the inspector rules a different way to what I’m going to vote for, then that’s all well and good.

“I’m not happy with it and I’m going to be consistent by voting against it.”

He was supported by Cllr Graham Rogers, who said despite the urgent need to transform the town, the council should not give in to developers over agreed conditions.

He told colleagues: “I firmly believe as an individual that we’ve been blackmailed.

“The town definitely needs regeneration and we can’t argue with that because Wrexham’s in a mess, but I firmly believe that if we agree with what’s being put forward tonight it will come and bite us.

“Come Hell or high water I will not be supporting this.”

By Liam Randall – BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme).