New cell block for Wrexham Magistrates Court set for green light with eight mature trees to be felled

A new cell block and entrance to Wrexham Magistrates Court is set for approval by councillors, after a long argument over the cutting down of several mature trees appears to have beens settled.

The magistrates court in Wrexham used to share cells with the then neighbouring police station at Bodhyfryd, but those facilities were lost to the court when the station closed and relocated to Llay last year, and the new town centre station does not have a custody facility.

As we have long documented until new facilities are built, all custodial cases are being dealt with in Mold rather than Wrexham – causing a great deal of inconvenience to witnesses, victims of crime and local solicitors, as well as defendants and has seen the future of the court called into question.

Councillors are now being recommended to finally approve a planning application that will see a new cell block being built, along with a new entrance.

The proposal consists of a standalone cell block linked by a ‘bridge’ to the existing court building.

The office report on the application before councillors notes: “This planning application was originally submitted in late 2017 and has been the subject to detailed negotiation culminating in a set of amended plans which were eventually submitted in late August 2019. On the basis of the amended submissions, a period of re-consultation has been carried out with all consultees and neighbouring occupiers”.

The plans before councillors show the improved entrance behind the Memorial Hall, new car parking spaces, cell block, as well as an area of new tree planting.

The cell block is bleakly described, “Due to the nature of its use, the design of the building features no windows. Therefore the building does have a stark block like appearance although it has been designed in manner to reflect the form and characteristics of the existing court building.”

The side of the Memorial Hall, visible from inside the hall, could see some harsher features: “These will be a reorientation of car parking spaces on an existing hardstanding area to serve the courts and the provision of a shared ‘in’ and ‘out’ access for the court and Memorial Hall. This reorientation includes the provision of fencing to provide adequate security for the court as well as guide visitors and pedestrian around both sites.”

The planning application has been held up due to ‘a long period of negotiation’ over the removal of several mature trees, which is detailed as the loss of 8 mature trees in total, “…the majority of which have been identified as category B, with one category A tree.”

The Officer explains to councillors, “To mitigate the loss of the identified trees, officers have negotiated a planting scheme to the frontage of the court building as it faces onto Bodhyfryd. This is currently used as a parking area but upon construction of the proposed extension will become redundant. The applicant has provided a landscaping and maintenance scheme which will remove the hardstanding and result in the planting of trees to complement existing trees. Whilst it is unfortunate that any mature trees need to be identified for removal, I am satisfied that the need to provide the facility and the proposed mitigation planting outweighs this harm.”

Such ‘landscaping’ and ongoing maintenance assurances were famously part of the Wrexham Village student flats development, allowed through by the then Wrexham Council Planning Committee on a ‘gamble’. The below picture is an example of the extravagant no-money-spared ‘landscaping’ on Crispin Lane that Wrexham Council were happy with. It is unclear in the documents before councillors what will be done to ensure replacement plantings and landscaping assurances are not abandoned in a similar negligent manner. Earlier this year we reported how an entire road junction had also been forgotten about and not enforced despite planning assurances that it would.

The word perpetuity is boldly used in the context of mature tree removal that itself shows nothing is guaranteed in planning terms.

The Officer notes, “The trees identified for removal are not considered to have ecological merit in their own right, but as a collective contribute to the green infrastructure of the urban environment. By the same token, I am satisfied that the mitigation planting will provide for a suitable replacement which can mature in perpetuity.”

The trees that will be removed are indicated starred on the below map.

The proposal also seeks to provide a “shared arrangement allowing court and Memorial Hall vehicles in the southerly access with court vehicles leaving via the northerly drive and Memorial Hall traffic via a new exit on to Waterworld Car Park.”

The proposed parking provision is considered ‘acceptable’, and with the overall area previously being earmarked for development the capacity of the Waterworld car park is linked to the new development, ” Any shortfall in parking provision in comparison to existing is likely to absorbed by this provision.”

The Officer concludes, “I am satisfied that the proposed development can assimilate into its existing surroundings. Whilst the loss of a significant number of mature trees is unfortunate, I have balanced this loss against the mitigation planting proposed and the need to provide an upgraded facility within the town. On this basis I recommend accordingly.”