Planning Meeting Preview – Brymbo & Tanyfron

Two separate proposals regarding the erection of houses in Tanyfron and development of a supermarket and six retail units in Brymbo will go before the Planning Committee at the Guildhall today.

Both the application for housing and for a supermarket / retail units have been recommended for approval.

It is proposed that the facilities and houses will be built on an empty land opposite Bryn Gwenfro, Tanyfron. An application by Brymbo Developments Limited could see a number of houses built on the green space.

Currently there are around 600 houses located on the old Steelworks site, however there are concerns from community councillors that the application for more houses will take the number up to around 800.

The old Steelworks site has been subject to ongoing development since work began on the site a number of years ago.

Community councillors have said that the development has essentially become ‘another village’, and since work began, the crime and vandalism rate in Tanyfron has increased.

One of the primary objections to the development of more houses is due to the spine road, which was set to be built was the initial application was granted in 2005. The road would in theory connect Brymbo and Tanyfron, despite this residents have complained that the road has still not been completed.

There are concerns from residents of Tanyfron who feel that the area will lose its identity by becoming a suburb to Brymbo. A letter sent out to residents reads:

“The Local Resident’s Association is not against progress, we want to see the completion of the employment areas promised by the developer. However, this should not be achieved through yet more housing, whilst moving forward, areas need to retain their own identity. New developments need to be sustainable, a fundamental central feature of the Welsh Government’s own planning policy documents. The demand for houses must be balanced with the effects on local infrastructure and the environment. The association believes these thresholds have already been reached.”

Due to this, the letter sent to residents states the campaign to save the green space is ‘gathering momentum’, and has encouraged others to take action against the development. A link to the letter can be found here.

Chairman of the local resident’s community group, Sam Evans said: “The residents of the new Brymbo Estate, Tanyfron and the surrounding area are all in favour of the improvement of our community. People were sold properties on the steelworks site with the promise of a Supermarket & shopping area, a petrol station, a new school & local jobs.

“The reality is nothing has ever materialised from the BDL and all we are left with is an already over developed site without appropriate facilities. It now seems that the WCBC & our local Councillor say that if this application doesn’t go ahead, the opportunity for these facilities will be lost forever.”

Other issues surrounding the developments include loss of remaining green space in the area,  and finally that there is no need for additional houses, as some properties on the site are either vacant or used for social housing.

Despite this the proposal is recommended to be given the go ahead.

A separate application for the area will also go before the committee tomorrow, which if successful could see retail units added to the site.

The second application requests that a supermarket and small retail units will be built on land just off the Phoenix Road, which is situated on the northern part of the Brymbo development site and is 1.3 hectares in area.

The proposals state that a ‘supermarket building of around 18,000ft2’ and  ‘six smaller retail units (1,000ft2 – 93m2)’ could be built on the site. It is also noted that the retail units have the potential to attract occupiers such as fast food outlets, a chemist, cafe, baker, bookmaker, hair salon, off licence, newsagent and so on.

The report for the housing application in Tanyfron can be found here