Rossett housing and office plans rejected by Wrexham Council

Plans to redevelop a derelict site in a Wrexham village to build nine new homes and an office have been refused.

Wrexham Council’s planning department has turned down an application to redevelop Gamford House on Gamford Lane in Rossett.

Proposals were submitted by Urban Developments Ltd for nine five-bedroom dwellings with an office/bungalow on land where the vacant derelict buildings currently stand.

A planning statement gives an outline history of the site which has been vacant for a decade having previously been a pig farm, then a vehicle repairs workshop.

It states: “The site is well located on Gamford Lane, within easy access of Rossett’s village centre, with local schools, shops and bus routes all within a reasonable walking and cycling distance.

“The site features a range of vacant, dilapidated farm buildings and a single derelict dwelling house.

“Gamford Farm was originally a working pig farm, then used for the production and distribution of whey and pig-swill and a workshop depot for commercial vehicle repairs.

“The few agricultural buildings are not suitable for any other agricultural purpose, having been constructed specifically for pig farming.”

Design details were also provided in the statement submitted by agents Appleton Deeley on behalf of the applicants.

They said: “The scheme proposes the erection of nine sustainable carbon zero detached properties following the demolition of Gamford House and workshop buildings across the site.

“In order to achieve a ‘rural’ character, the development will be gated to enclose an unadopted area where infrastructure will not be provided to adoptable highway standards but will be constructed of materials and to a design that secures and enhances a rural character to the development.

“The dwellings will be constructed with a form and scale that is easily identifiable with rural buildings. The materials used on the elevations will also be in common with those found on rural buildings.”

They added: “Modern facilities such as electric vehicle charging points will be incorporated in the scheme with a similar sensitivity to the desired rural character.

“Particular attention has been paid to the roofscape, which dominates the appearance of the dwellings and office, in materials that have the colour and patina of slate and in a form that reflects the local vernacular.

“Design cues have been taken from existing buildings in the locality of the site, at Darland and Lavister.”

But the application has been refused in a delegated decision signed off by Wrexham Council’s chief planning officer David Fitzsimon.

Reasons given include the potential impact on the rural nature of the countryside and protected species.

Writing the decision notice, he said: “The site lies outside of any defined settlement limit and within the open countryside and the development would have a detrimental urbanising impact upon the rural character of the site and its immediate surroundings.

“Insufficient information has been submitted to demonstrate that the development would not adversely impact upon statutorily protected species.”

Mr Fitzsimon also recorded that insufficient information had been provided on how the potential phosphates pollution could impact local rivers.

The application also failed to demonstrate how the development could connect to the public sewer network.

By Rory Sheehan – BBC Local Democracy Reporter