Plans for 137 homes move forward after almost 20 year wait

Alec Doyle Local Democracy Reporter

Almost 20 years after first securing planning permission, construction of phase two of a major housing development in north Wales will soon begin.

SG Estates submitted plans for a 223-home development on Wrexham Road, Rhostyllen that was approved in 2007.

To date 78 homes have been built in phase one, but on Tuesday Wrexham County Borough Council’s planning committee granted officers delgated powers to approve phase two of the development.

The developer – SG Estates – has now submitted revised proposals which reduce the overall size of the development from 223 homes to 215, allowing more space for residents.

SG Estates has also confirmed that it would be working with Network Rail to close off a ground-level pedestrian crossing across the railway tracks that run parallel to the development that councillors raised as a safety concern.

Officers will now have the power to confirm planning conditions and grant permission for work to begin.

Move welcomed

It was a move welcomed by Wrexham Council leader and Esclusham Councillor Mark Pritchard.

“This has been a topic of discussion for a long time in the community,” he said. “There was a very contentious issue with regard Wrexham Road. Myself and the community council believe those issues have been resolved.

“The developer has implemented highways improvements we asked for in phase one – lights and a four-way crossing on Church Street, they’ve put a pedestrian crossing at the church and there’s proposals to put a roundabout at Eldon Grove and another crossing further down.

“The railway pedestrian crossing in 2007 was a focus of attention and concern and it remains so today. We asked then for the railway crossing to be closed and we are asking for it again today. The sooner the pedestrian crossing is closed the better.

“The other thing for me is education provision. There was lots of discussion at the time that Rhostyllen school wasn’t big enough.

“It still isn’t big enough. At this moment in time we are turning children away from the community. As an elected member I find that unacceptable.

“With this development will come extra demand – I would ask the planning committee to put a condition that all education monies are allocated to Ysgol Rhostyllen rather than any secondary school.

“I don’t apologise for that – the need and the demand is there. I’ve spoken to education and Dafydd Ifans is happy to support that.

“That money should go to Ysgol Rhostyllen because that is where the demand is. It shouldn’t go to secondary schools.”

Schools contribution

Cllr Pritchard’s plea for all education contributions paid by the developer to go to Ysgol Rhostyllen were dashed however.

Senior planning officer Matthew Phillips confirmed that the closure of the railway crossing remained a condition of the new planning application but said the committee could not direct all education funding from the development to Rhostyllen Primary School.

“The existing development is subject to a planning obligation that secures contributions to the primary school in Rhostyllen – those obligations would remain and I think the developer is not far off the trigger for that to be paid.

“The contribution for secondary schools is something the education team has said is necessary. To direct that to the primary school instead would fail the test of being reasonably related to the impact of the development so we cannot do that.”

Planning committee members voted to grant officers the power to approve the development subject to confirmation the railway crossing would be closed.