Outdoor Education Centre & Woodland Owned by Wrexham Council Set to be Auctioned Off

A large area of woodland and outdoor education centre owned by Wrexham Council is set to be auctioned off.

Plans to dispose of 28 acres of land, which forms part of the informal open space at Craig Y Pandy Woodland at Glyn Ceiriog, have been unanimously backed by members of Wrexham Council’s Executive Board.

The land itself was acquired by Wrexham Council in 2008 for use in conjunction with the Nantyr Outdoor Education Centre. However the centre is due to close at the end of November 2016 and use of the surrounding woodland will cease.

The woodland itself directly adjoins the village of Pandy in the Ceriog Valley and consists of a partly craggy but mainly wooded hillside adjoining the hamlet of Pandy.

The land is classed as a Site of Special Scientific Interest and has a Tree Preservation Order attributable to the woodland.

A restrictive covenant ‘not to use the land for any other purpose other than outdoor educational purposes or amenity woodland’ is also in place.

Presenting the report on Tuesday, Cllr Mark Pritchard said that the ‘intention to dispose of the land should be published in the paper for two weeks’ and that any ‘objections will need to be decided by the Executive Board’.

Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Dana Davies referenced that previously two parties had been interested in leasing the land for recreational purposes and queried if that was still the case.

Cllr Pritchard said: “I am not at liberty to say who is interested for obvious reasons. It is going to auction and any interested party who wants to bid is more than welcome to do so.”