Posted: Thu 9th May 2013

What We Can’t Report On In Council Discussions This Month

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area
This article is old - Published: Thursday, May 9th, 2013

As usual there are elements of Council business that we cannot report on as we cannot see reports, nor attend meetings. Wrexham Council use a section of the Local Government Act to exclude press and public from such discussions.

In most cases the reasoning centres around commercial sensitivities, for example contract values and the like. Such information could mean the Council loses a competitive edge in negotiations and therefore costs the people of Wrexham money.

Such secret meetings have previously gone unreported however when we highlighted the pay discussions back in December it triggered a fresh spotlight on exempt sections of meetings and reports.

This month we cannot report on items involving:

  • Removal/Alteration of the Covenants and Charitable Status Affecting Plas Kynaston Hall, Cefn Mawr.
  • The Welsh Dragon Project – A New Way Forward
  • Stiwt Arts Trust Limited
  • Young Carers Service
  • Changes to the Agreement re: Chirk Court
  • Disposal of 3/5 and 7/9 Grosvenor Road

We have previously written that the Chirk Dragon project was ‘asleep’, so perhaps this new discussion means there is life being breathed into it. Or, perhaps it could be that the Council are becoming fed up with inaction and are following up what is happening with the land they have made available for it.

Luckily despite the vague nature of the agendas online there is a sliver of vague detail on the Council’s work programme which says the discussion will be “to update Members on the project and agree revised financial parameters in relation to the land.”

The ‘disposal’ of 3/5 and 7/9 Grosvenor Road has been discussed before, with offers being received by the Council in 2006 after the buildings were offered for sale. Offers were considered in early 2007, and the preferred developer selected by the Council went into administration. The site was then offered to previous bidders, however an underbidder subsequently withdrew from the negotiations.

The empty premises leave security and maintenance costs liabilities on the Council. Although we are not privy to the report it will be interesting to see if a sale occurs, and if it results in the much rumoured residential flat development on the sites.

Again, not looking at the Council releases we get an extra titbit of insight via the Council’s work programme stating the discussion will be “to consider whether the exchange of contracts on Grosvenor Road proceeds prior to the new Chirk Court Agreement becoming effective.”

 

 



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