Expansion plans for global biopharmaceutical manufacturer backed by council

Expansion plans for a global biopharmaceutical manufacturer in Wrexham are set to go ahead with councillors granting delegated authority to officers for approval.

An application was submitted to Wrexham Council by Ipsen BioPharm proposing an 11,200 sq.m industrial building together with associated parking and serving areas.

The application site is a 1.56ha area of previously developed land on Ash Road North on Wrexham Industrial Estate.

The Chief Officer Economy and Planning was given delegated authority to grant planning permission during Wrexham Council’s Planning Committee meeting on Monday, December 4.

A report into the plans says that the proposed development would be staffed by up to 48 people, with 24 on the site at any one time.

During the meeting, the committee heard how the site had previously been occupied by a large industrial building, and the new plans would see the proposed facility’s appearance “reflective of other units in the area”.

There are concerns surrounding ecology and biodiversity, with a report into the application saying that the land “lies outside of but borders Eiras Black Wood which forms part of the Wrexham Industrial Estate Strategic Ecology Network.”

Also, the “draft LDP designates corridors within the Industrial Estate as ecological corridors for statutory protected species, notably Great Crested Newts” though it has been determined that the likelihood of the species being on site is low.

During the meeting Cllr Michael Morris (Con) for Holt, who chaired it and is the local member for the area, said: “It makes a logical extension to what’s already there.”

He added he was comfortable that the ecology issue would be dealt with.

The committee then voted to grant the delegated authority to officers for approval.

By Emily Ash – BBC Local Democracy Reporter