Council reapply for old Vicarage demolition – councillor “hopeful of a last-minute change of heart” to save building

A historic building in Rhosddu still looks set to be demolished, as the council have moved to reapply for permission to knock it down.

An application of prior notification for demolition has been submitted again for the for the old Vicarage – also known as the Centre 67 building – on Rhosddu Road, between the Spar and St James’ church, after a previous application to knock it down effectively timed out.

The building was last used in around 2005 and there were hopes that it could be be turned into a community hub.

Last year the demolition was subject to farcical scenes when the plan to knock it down was due to be discussed in secret – but was named in a public part of a council meeting. During those discussions a future use of the site was mentioned, with the possibility of social housing being built after it is cleared.

Much like last time, the new application states it is a ‘redundant building’ and ‘demolition required to mitigate the risk of of vandalism and fire’. The new expected date of commencement of works is given as May 2021 and should be completed by August 2021.

The new application also includes a bat survey report conducted in June 2020, with it noted “No bat emergence from building for the duration of the survey” and “No physical evidence was identified during the inspection that would suggest recent or historic presence of loft-dwelling or crevice-dwelling bat species”.

Local councillor for Grosvenor ward that covers Rhosddu Marc Jones said, “Wrexham Council has assured me that the fencing and scaffolding around the old Vicarage, between the Spar and St James’ Church on Rhosddu Road, is there for safety because of falling slates.”

“The council still hasn’t obtained planning permission to demolish the building and I’m hoping there will be a re-think as there is a potential new use for it. There has been no discussion or consultation with the public on this matter and the decision was initially made behind closed doors to demolish.

“If the council gets planning permission, it’s likely to press ahead and demolish the building at a considerable cost in May.”

“I accept time is against us. But we’ve lost too many good buildings that can be brought back into use for the community’s benefit. This is one of them and I’m hopeful of a last-minute change of heart.”