Anger at lack of input from health board into major housing plan

Alec Doyle, local democracy reporter

Health bosses in north Wales have been criticised for failing to respond to large-scale housing plans that will increase pressure on hospitals and GPs.

Wrexham County Borough Council’s Planning Committee debated its opposition to a plan for 600 homes south of Holt Road on Monday evening – and councillors slammed bosses at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board for offering ‘no comment’ on the scheme.

Chairman of the Planning Committee Cllr Mike Morris said: “We all know the issues it causes but Betsi Cadwaladr didn’t object to the Local Development Plan (LDP) generally when it was out for consultation in its entirety.

“I know senior planning officer Matthew Phillips has contacted them several times over this specific site and they’re just not engaging, we’re not getting anything back from them.”

Anger

The fact the health board had not given a response at any stage prompted anger in the council chamber.

Independent Cllr Trevor Bates of Dyffryn Ceiriog was visibly livid: “I had a resident in my ward who sadly died because the ambulance didn’t get there in time.

“I regularly come past A&E and there are always queues of ambulances. We recently took a report to scrutiny that in May 2025 alone, 7,400 hours were wasted by ambulances sitting outside A&E in the Betsi Cadwaladr area.

“On this statistic Betsi Cadwaladr is by far the worst in Wales, probably the worst in the whole of the UK. And yet it says ‘no comment’ – we can cope with another how many houses.

“Well they’re not coping are they? I don’t care that you say we haven’t got the evidence, you go and try and get into A&E.

“My brother sat there in the corridor for over 12 hours sleeping. Eventually he was told it was going to be three days before he could be admitted. And Betsi Cadwaladr are sound? I don’t think so.

“How do they expect us to cope with all these extra houses and even a National Park? We talk about the cost of defending ourselves against a planning decision, what is the cost of a life.

“These are people’s lives we are talking about and piling more and more pressure on the emergency services. I can’t do it. You can vote for houses if you like, I won’t be doing so.

“For Betsi Cadwaladr not to comment and not to state that they are not coping is not acceptable in my book. To the staff of Betsi, please don’t think I’m having a go at you, you do a fantastic job – the doctors, the nurses.

“But the system is not coping. I seriously wonder why they don’t comment on these planning applications as they should. I have emailed one of the directors and received no response.

“Are they being gagged, and if so by whom? I’m sorry if I’m making allegations but I want some answers. We cannot use the failure of our health system as an objection to planning and I think we should have some answers.”

‘Shameful’

Plaid Cymru group leader Cllr Marc Jones told colleagues that BCUHB’s lack of response was ‘shameful’: “I feel we have to take account of advice that opposing the application on health grounds would be problematic as the health board has not responded to numerous requests to submit an opinion,” he said.

“To me that’s a shameful state of affairs. A development of 600 houses would have a huge impact on health services locally and the senior management at Betsi Cadwaladr appear unconcerned about that. I don’t get it.”