550 homes plans this week the “predicted negative consequences of the Council being forced to vote through the LDP”
Plans to build hundreds of new homes on two greenfield sites in Wrexham will “create an urban sprawl and put additional pressure on existing” infrastructure, Plaid Cymru councillors have warned.
As we first reported, on Monday (8 January) two separate applications to build 550 new homes on land in Gwersyllt and Rhosrobin will go before Wrexham Council’s planning committee.
Developers SG Estates have proposed that 92 houses and apartments are built on fields near Plas Acton Cemetery, in Rhosrobin.
Currently the plans say of those 23 would be classed as affordable dwellings – which would comprise of 12 x 2 bedroom flats and 11 x 2 bedroom terraced dwellings.
Public open space, including a wildlife area, play area and the retention of an existing footpath route are also featured within the proposals.
The plans also include further changes to the Llay New Road / Rhosrobin Road, with the addition of a second new roundabout on the stretch of road.
Whilst Russell Homes (UK) Ltd are seeking permission to build up to 455 homes on land known locally as ‘Circus Field’ near the B&Q Roundabout.
Residents and councillors have voiced concerns it could lead to a large increase in traffic and have a negative impact on road safety in the area.
The land is earmarked in Wrexham’s controversial Local Development Plan, which was recently approved at the third time of asking, as being suitable for 375 houses.
Despite the objections, council planning officers have recommended the proposals should be given the go ahead, also noting that the 375 figure in the LDP is “not a minimum”.
Opponents of the plans say they are coming forward as a direct result of passing the county’s controversial Local Development Plan in December.
The approval of the plan means that large scale housing applications that have been pending for several months will likely start to come before the planning committee for consideration.
Gwersyllt South councillor Pete Howell, of Plaid Cymru, pointed to the Local Development saga: “The predicted negative consequences of the Council being forced to vote through the LDP are starting already.
“Both of these are from two of the large housing developers who took the Council to Judicial Review to force through the LDP after it had been voted down twice.
“If both planning applications are approved, as council planning officers are suggesting, it will result in years of misery and chaos for residents as local amenities and vital infrastructure and essential services fail to cope with the increased population and vehicles.
“We are seeing the needs of greedy Developers being prioritised over the needs of local residents as the LDP is an open door policy for developers to do what they want when they want.”
Cllr Becca Martin, Plaid Cymru’s candidate for the Westminster election, warned that the plans will see the loss of “valuable green spaces” and the merging of villages.
Cllr Martin said: “There are two other strategic sites on either sides of Wrexham as well as these in the Rhosrobin/Gwersyllt area that will see Wrexham as a town start to merge with surrounding villages and we will lose valuable green spaces and agricultural land as well as it putting even more pressure on our overstretched health and education services.
“There are no plans to materially improve the road network to meet the added volume of cars either.
“Perhaps the most damning comment of all is that the health board make it clear that the larger scheme of 455 new houses will put added strain on the NHS but that the planning officers dismiss this as not being relevant to planning.
If that’s the case, then we have a planning system that doesn’t work for local communities and instead is all about allowing large-scale housing developers to build what they want, where they want regardless of the impact.
“It’s just not good enough. If these large-scale housing developments go through – and they amount to more than 3,700 in just these three areas – what will that mean for our GP services, our A&E and our overstretched NHS in general?”
The planning meeting will be streamed live to those who can’t watch in person at the Guildhall late on Monday afternoon.
Spotted something? Got a story? Email [email protected]
