Historic church saved from demolition

Alec Doyle, local democracy reporter

Plans to demolish a 130-year-old village church to make way for a car sales business have been rejected.

Wrexham Council received an application to knock down St David’s Welsh Church in Rhosllanerchgrugog to create space for up to 40 cars and a sales office on Broad Street.

The historic Church in Wales site has been vacant since at least 2021 and has a number of structural issues that need attention.

But planning officers have given it a reprieve after refusing the application to demolish it and level the site – stating such work would ‘adversely impact upon the historic character of the site’.

Subsidence

The church was put up for sale in autumn 2023 with a guide price of £50,000. Estate agents Morris, Marshall and Poole said at the time that demolition was the “only option available” for the building due to subsidence.

According to the application the site is currently owned by a Mr Fouez Setta.

Originally built in 1892 by Chester architects Fordham and Douglas using Ruabon red bricks, the church – which is not a listed building – has a number of large cracks in its brickwork.

Made up of a nave and north aisle, it was originally intended to have a steeple but this was never built. Before being sold it was included in the Offa Mission Area as the Church in Wales restructured its parishes.

Historic character

In their reasons for refusal, planning officers said: “The demolition of the existing church would adversely impact upon the historic character of the site and surrounding area contrary to the Wrexham Local Development Plan.

“In the view of the Local Planning Authority, the use of the site for car sales would adversely impact upon the character of the site and surrounding area.”

They also highlighted a lack of green infrastructure and biodiversity measures, a lack of adequate vehicle and pedestrian access and inadequate provision for customer parking s reasons for refusal.