Wrexham Cricket Club secures 50-year lease for expansion and new facilities

A Wrexham based cricket club has taken another big step towards its planned expansion and new facilities.

Wrexham Council has granted a request from Gwersyllt Park Cricket Club to surrender its existing lease for its land and buildings agreed in 2016, in exchange for a longer five-decade lease.

Recently the cricket club gained planning permission for a new pavilion and changing facilities at its Park Wall Road home and has also been awarded £500,000 from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund.

Now it has secured a long-term lease on the land and facilities having struck an agreement with Wrexham Council.

For a nominal £1 fee the club has been granted a 50-year lease which will enable it to make further grant funding applications, an agreement signed off by the council’s ruling executive board at its monthly meeting.

Introducing the report to members, council leader and lead member for finance, Esclusham Cllr Pritchard (Ind) said all parties were fully supportive of the move.

This was welcomed by ward member, Gwersyllt East Cllr Tina Mannering (Ind) who explained why the new lease was necessary.

She said: “The longer lease is needed to satisfy grant applications.

“The club have secured planning consent for the demolition of the existing changing area and the construction of a new cricket pavilion.

“There are now over 700 members who use the club to socialise. The club has a fantastic adult cricket team, a disability squad, a female team and a huge youth team spanning over four different age groups.”

She added: “The club is looking to expand and deliver accessible, inclusive and safe cricket facilities for all to enjoy. The exciting new pavilion will enable this.

“It will also provide a more inclusive community hub. This is a real opportunity for us to improve physical and mental wellbeing in the surrounding communities with state of the art indoor and outdoor facilities.”

The cricket club was not the only community group to secure a £1 per year lease from the council at the executive board meeting.

Abenbury Community Council had also made a request to take on the site of the community centre on Bridge Road, Pentre Maelor.

The community council had put forward an option to create a community garden there with tree planting, on a 21 year lease.

Introducing the proposal, Cllr Mark Pritchard explained that a covenant on the land meant it could only be put to use for the benefit of the community.

He said: “There’s a covenant for the land not to be used for any other purpose than open space for community purposes in conjunction with the council.

“There’s an old understanding with the adjoining Pentre Maelor estate not to dispose of the property or land area for any purpose.

“I think it’s an asset which we would have a responsibility for that the community council want to take over, and there’ll be no cost to us with regards the repair and maintenance of it and the upkeep.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with the local member, community council and county council to dispose of an asset through the legal process and work with them.

“It’s always nice when everyone agrees on something.”

The executive board voted unanimously to agree the leases.

By Rory Sheehan – BBC Local Democracy Reporter