FOI Raises Questions Over Future Of Memorial Hall

A Freedom Of Information response by Wrexham Council has raised questions about the future of the Memorial Hall in town with it listed amongst ‘leisure review’ consultant emails.The FOI was made via the ever excellent WhatDoTheyKnow.com website, which allows anyone to place FOI requests to relevant entities in a public manner.

The thrust of the FOI was towards Wrexham Council, The Sports Consultancy and Capita relationships in terms of the ongoing Council leisure review, which has become a local hot topic regarding the futures of Plas Madoc & Waterworld.

The documents in the response include copies of meeting records between Wrexham Council and The Sports Consultancy, plus a specification and an overview strategy document.

A link to the FOI was posted on this Wrexham.com Forum thread, with concern raised that it is possible the Memorial Hall was under threat as it was listed alongside items that are due to be replaced – Waterworld and the Library Arts Facility.

The section triggering concern appears to be this email disclosed, with item three apparently referring to the Memorial Hall – we have highlighted this in yellow:

Some background to the Plas Madoc decisions and discussions is also revealed in the several page email exchanges, with one suggestion of where the funds for any sell off being given in this previously confidential email:

The above email also points to consideration of the value of the current Waterworld site, with it appearing likely that a replacement , if funded, would be built on the current Crown Buildings site.

The FOI also contains an interesting set of what appears to be suggested changes, edits or amendments to the Sports Consultancy report by Wrexham Council to The Sports Consultancy.

The end result it appears was presented to a scrutiny committee in December, you can view the report in full here, with what we can find as being  matching text appearing as follows – it is the same text and on a page 9:

Another edit, referring to ‘slide 9’, also mentions referring to something being politically motivated could be a ‘red rag to a bull’. Who the bulls are is not mentioned.

Other changes / corrections suggested to a draft in a list viewable in this PDF include:

• Wrexham Council pointing out to the Sports Consultancy that Ysgol Morgan Llwyd is 6-7 miles away from Plas Madoc not 0.2 miles.
• Wrexham Council pointing out they are Wrexham County Borough Council.
• Several grammatical  changes, for example adding an S to make something plural.
• Wrexham Council state they do not think Plas Madoc is in Acrefair, implying the draft mentioned it was.
• Rhosllannerchrugog spelling was corrected, with an amusing aside pointing out the Council’s signs do get that wrong on occasion.

Pictured below is the police station, which is believed to be demolished in the future. The Magistrates Courts are also mooted for closure and likely merger with Flintshire with possible centralisation in Mold.

Those, alongside the removal of Crown Buildings and Waterworld would mean that the Memorial Hall could be the only functioning building left on the site highlighted.

We have previously reported on the rumours, and potential moves for the Oriel in the Library here, the demolition and relocation of the police station here, the closure and replacement if funded of Waterworld here, which also includes Crown Buildings and first word of the possible move of the Magistrates Court.

The debate on this FOI can be found on the Wrexham.com Forums, by clicking here…