Nine Acre conversion to park stuck in red tape as local councillor says ‘residents have been left in limbo’

Wrexham Council’s leadership has responded to challenges to open up the city’s Nine Acre Field, amid concern its future is still to be resolved.

Wrexham.com queried Wrexham Council on Monday morning about the field, noting it had been 6 months since it was announced that it would be safeguarded as a permanent green space and known as Queen Elizabeth II park. We asked how that plan was progressing, when there would be a public update. We also noted the Lead Member of Education Cllr Phil Wynn had indicated he was keen for the fencing around the field to be removed as soon as possible to allow public use, and asked if there had been any progress on that.

Unconnected, late on Monday evening we had comment from the local councillor Becca Martin on similar matters.

Cllr Martin said: “It’s now nine months since the planning application for a new school on the site was rejected by the planning committee. It’s seven months since the ruling Tory-independent coalition made a commitment to protecting Nine Acre Field as a green space via an article on Wrexham.com. Back in October the council leader, Mark Pritchard, stated ‘we propose to take a report to the Executive Board later this year with our plans to support and build on what we have achieved over a number of years protecting open spaces.’ Later this year was in 2022. So why are we still not seeing any movement? ‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‍‌

“I have contacted the leader of the council directly three times asking for the field to be opened to the public and for updates that I can pass on to residents. I’ve had very little in the way of response back from him other than an inference that the responsibilities lie with officers. Do I need to remind him that it was he and the ruling coalition that publicly made these promises through the media that they now seem unable to keep?

“Residents have been left in limbo for far too long now without answers and it’s our duty as a council to work with them and for them to provide amenities. In an area where there is a deficit of green space, keeping such an area behind a locked gate for so long without any proper reasoning is unfair and unacceptable.

“It’s time to let the children play, it is time to let the dogs walk, activities to flourish. It’s time to open up this space to residents who bring it alive with activity once again.”

On Tuesday morning at a media brief we noted Cllr Martin’s comments around the ‘very little in the way of response’, and asked the Council Leader Mark Pritchard to comment.

Cllr Pritchard said, “I can assure you I have replied saying we will follow due process.”

Deputy Leader Cllr David A Bithell went further, “What I would say is that we’ve had lots of emails from lots of members, and I won’t mention any members names, we’ve had lots of emails from lots of members about taking the fences down and opening it up, saying the fences are not adequate and that some people are climbing over.

“The reality is what we need to do is to follow the process, which is quite clear. The land fell with the Education department, there’s a process now to follow, and if it is not surplus to requirements with Education, which we believe now it is, then it has to go through the assets internal process that members are fully aware of.

“Then ultimately, it’s a decision on change of use. At that time, we can start looking at what we need to do with a change of use. That might include taking the fences down, consultation with local residents about opening up, for our aspiration to be a park. But all that takes time.

“Unfortunately, we’ve got lots of people asking lots of questions on assets, not just a Nine Acre, let me assure you, they’re asking lots of questions on all sorts of assets.

“To be fair to our assets team they are really struggling to cope with the demand for queries and questions. They’re doing their best really, in difficult circumstances, to address everybody’s concerns.

“I’ve spoken to the chief officer yesterday and they’ve got our full support in what they’re doing in assets at this moment in time. I spoke to the chief officer this morning, and I’ve reiterated the position that they’ve got our full support, but processes have to be followed, and we will not jeopardise the processes by pressure being applied politically.”

The council leader added, “We have to follow due process, because if somebody was to get injured or hurt, or there was any claim against this council, or any liability, I’m sure the same members who constantly email us on challenges will be the first to say, ‘Well, why didn’t you follow due process?’. So that’s why we do it.”

With the future of the field still not nailed down, we asked if the leadership would rule out any building development on it. Cllr Pritchard firmly rejected any prospect of building on it, “We have made a decision politically within the Alliance that it will be a park. That’s where we are on it.”

Chief Executive Ian Bancroft added, “We need to look at our assets in the round and consider how we use key strategic sites, the Groves, Nine-Acre, we’re going through a review of our strategic asset management plan at the moment.”