Additional parking plans at local tourism hub given go ahead

Additional car parking to help meet the growing visitor demand is to be created at one of the biggest tourism hubs in the county borough.

In November Wrexham.com reported that plans had been submitted to Wrexham Council requesting permission to convert land near the Trevor Basin into a temporary car park to help provide the additional facilities.

The Trevor Basin, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct and 11 miles of the Llangollen Canal between Chirk and Horseshoe Falls were inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 2009. Since then the site has become a key tourism hub locally, attracting thousands to the area each year.

The proposed site for the 104 space pay and display car park is located on land north of the Trevor Basin and Pontcysyllte Aqueduct on the Llangollen Canal. Previously the land formed part of an industrial factory site, however the site it now vacant.

A temporary three-year planning permission is being sought by the Canal & River Trust, with the car park seen as a medium-term solution for additional car parking in the area.

Details submitted in the initial application to Wrexham Council stated: “The application site is located on land to the north of Trevor Basin and the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, which is a Trust destination for leisure, tourism and recreational activity.

“The basin and aqueduct attract high footfall throughout the year with visitors enjoying water based activities on the Llangollen Canal and use of the canal towpath and surrounding land.

“The Trust is committed to establish ways in which to improve the site for its visitors. There is currently a single car parking area to the east of the site, which is accessed off New Road. It is identified that additional car parking is required to improve the site access for visitors arriving by car, minibus or coach.

“In response to this identified need, this proposed change of use of the land seeks to increase the availability of car parking for visitors.

“The application site is available land, which is suitably located given the well-established connection to the Trust’s site and being adjacent to a designated walking and cycling route.”

Last week documents presented to Wrexham Council’s planning committee stated that the application had been given the go ahead by the head of environment and planning via a delegated decision.