Anger as Wrexham Council plans to give away land which could aid housing development

Anger has been voiced after it was revealed that Wrexham Council is planning to give away land which could pave the way for a housing development.

Wrexham Glyndwr University has put forward plans for 74 homes on playing fields at Dean Road in Rhosnesni.

It does not own all of the site, which is currently accessible via council-owned land.

Nearby residents have raised objections to the scheme amid concerns about the loss of green space, which is used by children’s football teams, and have been backed by both Sports Wales and Fields in Trust Cymru.

They have now expressed disquiet after discovering the local authority could be about to gift its section to the university.

The area in question would form part of a replacement football pitch, which has been promised by Glyndwr officials in a bid to appease neighbours.

However, Rhosnesni councillor Mike Davies has slammed the move and fears it will enable the plans to move forward.

“I believe this is a totally inappropriate idea,” he said.

“The council shouldn’t be giving away land that is heavily used by the public, especially to an organisation that is considering taking away the remaining land and building houses at great profit.

“I believe if Glyndwr show that they can provide a pitch, it may add favour to their planning application.

“I do not believe that the council should be even considering such action, especially without consulting the local community.”

If permission is granted, the university intends to sell the site to developers to help bank roll improvements worth £60 million to its main campus on Mold Road.

The issue of the land being gifted was highlighted at a meeting of Acton Community Council, and has appeared on the council’s Forward Work Programme. Members of the community council expressed the view that they should have been given first refusal to take on the site.

The move has also been questioned by Plaid Cymru’s Carrie Harper, who accused senior politicians of failing to act in the public interest.

She said: “The piece of land at Dean Road is publicly owned by the people of Wrexham.

“The council’s executive board has a duty to act in all of our best interests, and it’s very difficult to understand how giving away a public asset to facilitate a private housing developer fulfils that duty in any way.

“It’s incredible that, at a time when the council leadership says it’s got no money, the council is proposing to give land away to Glyndwr University to help it make money from this housing development.”

The authority’s executive board will meet to discuss whether to give the land away next month.

Wrexham.com asked if there was to be a capital receipt from a planned land transfer, and if it was being gifted for free was there any other land up for grabs in a similar manner.

A spokesman for Wrexham Council said: “Whilst we are in discussions with Wrexham Glyndwr University about the land at Dean Road it is not to be included as part of its housing development plans.

“We remain committed to improving football facilities throughout the county borough and hope to soon be in a position to confirm that this parcel of land will be secured for such use into the future.”

By Liam Randall – BBC Local Democracy Reporter (more here on the LDR scheme) / Wrexham.com

*Picture: Planning application