Plans approved for studio apartments and office space above city centre shop

Plans to create new studio apartments and office space above a city centre shop have been given the go ahead.

Members of Wrexham Council’s planning committee backed the proposals for the floors above the former Select fashion store on Monday (8 April).

North Block Limited, which is behind the scheme on Hope Street, said it would help to support the viability of the main shopping area.

Speaking at a meeting on Monday evening, planning officer Matthew Phillips explained that the change of use of the upper floors would result in a “small loss of retail floor space” to provide a doorway and stairwell.

The remainder of the ground floor would be retained as retail.

Mr Phillips added that the application provides adequate space and natural lighting for future residential tenants.

Questions were asked about the impact of noise from the nearby night time economy, with Rhosnesni Councillor Andy Gallanders stating that the apartments back onto Abbot Street where several clubs and bars are located.

The meeting was told that the planned development is “quite a stretch from the night time economy” and that enough mitigations were in place to reduce noise for residents.

Ruabon Councillor Dana Davies welcomed the design of the studio apartments, stating that the layout, size and lighting “look really pleasing for town centre accomodation.”

But concerns were raised by Hermitage Councillor Graham Rogers about the lack of disabled access to the upper floors and car parking facilities.

Cllr Rogers said: “It states [the planning report] that although there is a lift within the building it’s use to serve the upper floors will be problematic for the security of the future occupier of the ground floor retail space.

“Therefore there is no proposal – and I emphasise no proposal – to retain lift provision within the building.

“Should this application be granted in the chamber today or at some later stage, we need to bear in mind that an occupier or possibly more than one occupier could be of a disabled nature.

“So there’s provision there for a lift and to me it’s a nonsense if a lift is not going to be operational.”

Commenting on the lack of lift facilities to the upper floors, Mr Phillips said: “The very reason why it’s not being retained is it’s in the retail area.

“If it was retained you’d have potentially people from the upper floor, being able to gain access to the retail floor space.

“In order to maintain that you potentially compromise the retail floor space and the viability of the floor space on the ground floor.

“So I think unfortunately it’s not something which we could insist upon being retained or refused on the basis of the policies that we have.”

Addressing concerns about parking Mr Phillips added that “it’s an area where broadly speaking it’s accepted, or encouraged that people would not need to be reliant on private car.”

Chirk North Councillor Frank Hemmings noted that such developments can help “bring life” to city and town centres.

Cllr Hemmings said: “A lot is talked about revitalising town centres and city centres like ours.

“The way we can do is to utilise what might be dead parts of buildings by creating these sorts of developments and putting in flats and apartments to bring life back into the city centre

“I think it’s important that we support that and bring life back into into the town centre and bring people back into the town centre.

“So I’m happy to support officers recommendation.”

The application was approved was just one councillor voting against the redevelopment.