Story of the town ‘needs to be better told and interpreted’ as part of new Conservation Area management plan

Councillors will next week be asked to consider a draft document which aims to preserve and enhance the town centre Conservation Area.

The draft version of Conservation Area Character Assessment and Management Plan will be presented to planning committee members on Monday prior to being submitted to the executive board in March.

The town centre is full of historical buildings documenting Wrexham’s heritage as a market town – with some architectural features stretching all the way back to the 16th and 17th centuries.

Wrexham Town Centre Conservation Area was first designated in March 1974 and subsequently extended in August 1975, June 1985 and most recently in April 2007.

The Conservation Area itself covers a large chunk of the town centre including the Butchers and General Markets, St Giles Church and large parts of the High Street, Hope Street and Regent Street.

Last summer Wrexham.com reported that work to revitalise some of the town’s most historic buildings and bring others back into use has taken a step forward after external funding had been secured.

Initial support of £65,000 had been awarded as part of a National Lottery funding bid, with a chance for Wrexham Council apply for an additional £1.52m once plans have been developed further.

The Conservation Area Character Assessment and Management Plan due before councillors next week “aims to provide clear guidance for those seeking to undertake works of development and change within the Conservation Area and provides a framework for decision-makers to ensure that through these works, the special character and appearance of the Conservation Area is preserved and enhanced.”

As part of the management plan a series of issues within the Conservation Area are raised, including the loss or alteration of traditional shop fronts, inappropriate signage and lack of maintenance causing building conditions to deteriorate. In what will be exciting news for Cllr Alun Jenkins a possible ‘area of special control of advertisements’ could be created, although the focus appears to be on building based shop signs but ‘street clutter’ is also mentioned.

The impact the current economical climate and changes to shopping habits are also cited in the plan, with the former Burtons building on the corner of High Street and Hope Street referenced.

The report notes: “The town centre experiences high vacancy and turnover and consistent under-occupation of upper floors. Many upper floors remain vacant resulting in a lack of maintenance and deterioration of the structural fabric, which degrades the overall appearance of the street-scene.

“The former Burtons at the junction of Hope Street and High Street is particularly detrimental in key views to and from the Church.

“The current condition with boarded up windows is visually poor and interim measures could be taken to improve this situation.

“Vacancy levels within Overton Arcade are also a concern in one of the more distinctive spaces within the town centre.

“Gap sites at 22 Town Hill, adjacent the Commercial Public House on College Street, to the east of the Wynnstay Hotel on Charles Street, the former Hippodrome site on Henblas Street and on Yorke Street, detrimentally affect the visual continuity of the street scene.”

In terms of ensuring the above does not continue / happen again in the future, increasing awareness and appreciation of the buildings within the Conservation Area is one of the proposals put forward.

This includes the likes of understanding of traditional materials and skills, a need for better interpretation and emphasising positive features.

The plan notes: “A key issue is the lack of awareness of the importance of the historic environment and the various elements which contribute to it.

“The conservation area needs to be considered, not only in terms of the physical fabric but also the historical associations and meanings attached to the buildings, place names and spaces.

“The story of the town needs to be better told and interpreted if it is to be properly valued and cared for.”

Councillors do have a direct impact on the town, with previous planning decisions in effect criticised, “Some poor quality modern buildings have replaced more traditional structures and some bear no relation to the historic plot widths nor the local materials or special architectural character of Wrexham”

The actual definition of the Conservation Area is looking like it will be maintained as above, however Brook Street, Bridge Street, Well Street, Chester Street, Chester Road, Queens Square, Lambpit Street and ‘land immediately south of St Giles Churchyard’ could also be included in the future.

The report will be presented to members of the planning committee on Monday 4th February at 4pm. The meeting will also be webcast on the Wrexham Council website.

You can read the Draft Wrexham Town Centre Conservation Area Character Assessment and Management Plan (and some interesting bits of information about the town’s history) in full here – which also includes a action plan with timescales.