Petition launched to ‘unlock’ Nine Acre field for public use

The Nine-Acre Field should be opened up for public use following a decision not to build a new school on the site.

That’s the call from Plaid Cymru’s Acton and Maesydre councillor Becca Martin after Monday’s planning committee decision as she launched a petition to ‘unlock the Nine Acre’.

Cllr Martin said, “The decision has delighted local residents who have objected in their hundreds to the plan to Tarmac 40% of the field. Both the Save Nine-Acre campaign and Acton Community Council now have a role to play in ensuring the playing field is accessible for the community and I would welcome an early meeting with Wrexham Council’s education department, which owns the field, and local representatives to discuss the future.

“This is a good result for the community, the environment and democracy but I also have huge sympathy for St Mary’s School, which I visited last year and saw for myself the conditions in which pupils were being taught. There is an urgent need to find a new home for the school that’s suitable for the 21st Century and I am happy to make the case for The Groves site in my ward to be considered as that home. There is plenty of space on the site for a new-build school, especially as there is already extensive hardstanding, road access and other infrastructure in place without needing to touch the listed school building.

“I hope everybody can unite behind ensuring community access to field now – there are too many youngsters taking the risk to scale the fence and we need to act sooner rather than later to avoid injury. But that demonstrates the need for a playing field in the locality and I’ll be pressing for youth teams to have better access to the site in the longer term. In the short term, children are now on their summer holidays and families could do with having that extra space to play and relax. Let’s get things started with that and make sure the Nine-Acre Field becomes a real asset for the community.

“To help make that happen, please sign and share the online petition we’ve launched to make this happen: https://www.wrexhamplaid.cymru/unlock_the_9_acre ”

Her views were echoed by Councillor Marc Jones from the neighbouring ward of Grosvenor: “The decision at the planning meeting should be the spark to unlock the gates of the Nine-Acre Field. Wrexham Council made much of its role as UK capital of play during its City of Culture bid and, no doubt, that will be the case in future bids. If that’s going to have any validity, then opening up play spaces such as the Nine-Acre Field is essential and I’m fully behind Cllr Martin’s call to unlock the gates.”

Since the planning meeting Cllr Phil Wynn has pointed Wrexham.com to his lengthy 25 point note, specifically points 7 and 20 – both of which refer to Public Open Space (POS) perhaps indicating a direction that could be explored:

Point 7 reads, “I am comfortable with Acton Community Council taking ownership of the designated POS site, as long as they would be prepared to dedicate the POS for that purpose”

Point 20 reads, “Just as I am keen to see a third of the Nine Acre site brought into public use, I am in exploratory discussions with a number of elected members about transferring the ownership of under-utilised Education Department portfolio land to their Community Councils, on the basis they wish to ensure these sites are used as public open spaces in perpetuity. If further sites are identified then similar discussions will take place. I appreciate Community Councils may not wish to take up this possible offer but that will need to be tested as well as there being a Council appetite to increase the supply of POS.”

Although not confirmed it could mean the Nine Acre could be declared surplus to requirements by the Education Department, and then Wrexham Council would have to decide what to do with a surplus asset.