Cllr Phil Wynn: “I will not be offering up my resignation” as Nine Acre gypsy and traveller site “blackmail” row continues

The Lead Member in charge of Education in Wrexham has rejected a call for him to resign.

The Leader of the local Plaid Cymru group Cllr Marc Jones wrote to Council Leader Mark Pritchard yesterday, copying in all councillors, saying ‘the Lead Member is abusing his position and should resign’ after comments made yesterday regarding a planning application that will be heard tomorrow.

Cllr Wynn has fired back at the call, not only saying Cllr Becca Martin has “over-stepped the mark in her comments to Wrexham.com” but also called Cllr Marc Jones’ letter ‘ill considered’ and raised the possibility it was unconstitutional.

As we reported yesterday Cllr Wynn proactively released a 25 point list of reasons why a new school should be built on the Nine Acre field, a list circulated to all councillors as well as being provided publicly to Wrexham.com .

No. 24 stated the field could be declared ‘surplus to requirements’ if planning is refused, adding “If we are expected to identify new sites for consideration for a WCBC Gypsy and Traveller site as part of possibly a LDP3 ( I appreciate the jury is out on that) Nine Acres could come into the mix as a potential site, with it having been declared surplus to Education’s needs.”

That prompted angry responses publicly and privately from a range of councillors, with Cllr Marc Jones saying: “There have been a lot of inappropriate comments made by Cllr Wynn in the run-up to the meeting on Monday. As a member of the planning committee, I don’t want to comment further on the specific planning application but the veiled threat by the lead member crossed a line. That’s why we as a group believe he should resign as lead member for education.”

Members of Cllr Wynn’s Independent Group will have supported his elevation to the Executive Board, formally via election at Full Council, and the education role is then in the ‘gift’ of the Council Leader – and constitutionally remains in that post until resigning, or removal by the Leader.

His letter the council leader is below:

Cllr Wynn replied to Cllr Marc Jones via the councillor email list saying, “Please be assured I will not be offering up my resignation as you have suggested as point 24 of my 25 points shared with Wrexham.com elaborates on the content of page 50 of the planning report.”

“As vice-chair of the planning committee you will no doubt will be aware of this fact from your call-over meetings both in late 2021 and more recently for the report submitted to be discussed this Monday. I am surprised in the case of accuracy you have not referenced the planning committee report which you personally endorsed for circulation and which my point references.”

“For ease of reference the committee report (which is not written by me) states:

“Whilst noting that the assessment referred a shortage of playing fields, it is not clear that regard was had to the 2016 Audit. In any case, at the request of the LDP Inspectors, the site selection process for Gypsy and Traveller site was re-run in 2020. This site was discounted as being potentially available for a Gypsy and Traveller site on the grounds that it was being held for educational purposes.

“My statement is a explanation of the above and is therefore factual in nature. You might disagree but that is my opinion. The statement for ease of reference:

“24. Should the Nine Acre planning application be refused then the Education Department has no right of appeal to the Planning Inspectorate. This would result in the Department possibly identifying an alternative education use for Nine Acre or declaring it surplus to requirement.
If we are expected to identify new sites for consideration for a WCBC Gypsy and Traveller site as part of possibly a LDP3 ( I appreciate the jury is out on that) Nine Acres could come into the mix as a potential site, with it having been declared surplus to Education’s needs.

“I would suggest it is in fact your colleague Cllr Becca Martin who has over-stepped the mark in her comments to Wrexham.com

“As vice-chair of the planning committee I think your email is ill considered and poorly timed.

“I would be interested to learn whether you have followed our constitution in raising your request for me to resign my position as Lead Member for Education.”

“I will obviously take advice from our Chief Legal Officer on these matters and report back once Monday has been and gone.”

Wrexham.com is unaware if there has been a response from the Council Leader.

Prior to events over the weekend we now understand the contents of Cllr Wynn’s 25 point list was already causing concerns, with further councillors in touch over several points, including questions over point 22:

22. The Groves building and playing fields have recently been declared surplus to the needs of the Education Department, as feasibility studies have identified the conversion of the listed Groves building for a primary school or special school purpose would result in a compromised design which would cost well in excess of a modern design school building.

It has been claimed to Wrexham.com that the above information was an output from a recent Corporate Land and Buildings Strategy Group meeting. Wrexham Council has historically told us, “Corporate Land and Buildings Strategy Group is a confidential meeting”.

Tumbles off the Executive Board are not that uncommon in Wrexham. In recent times now former councillor Joan Lowe stepped down from the Executive due to ill health days after claims “inappropriate language” was used in private meeting. Cllr Bill Baldwin resigned due to an investigation into social media posts, with the outcome still unknown despite questions asked several times to then Group Leader and Wrexham Council. Panamanian Andrew Atkinson also resigned his Executive role, after a working holiday became permanent.

As we reported the meeting tomorrow to decide the future of the Nine Acre is unusual as it is a straight local yes or no, with no appeal possible.

The committee meeting will be held at the Guildhall tomorrow, 25th July at 4.00 pm – and will be live streamed online as well.