Wrexham greenlights 547 homes

Russell Homes and SG Estates have secured county councillors’ approval for their proposed neighbourhoods in Stansty and Rhosrobin after nearly three hours of deliberation.

Wrexham County Council debated the applications during the planning committee meeting on Monday. Both were set on greenfield land allocated for housing in the recently adopted Wrexham local development plan.

Land either side of Stansty Chain Road

• Application reference number: P/2019/0923

Russell Homes’ outline application to build up to 455 homes on 53 acres on either side of Stansty Chain Road in Stansty dominated the planning committee’s meeting.

Councillors debated the application for two hours, sharing concerns over the impact the development would have on health services and traffic. After a motion to defer the application until after a site visit was shot down, councillors voted to give the scheme the green light.

The Stansty project had been in the works for a number of years, with the application being submitted in 2019 by J10 Planning. White Young Green, now part of Tetra Tech, is the masterplanner for the scheme.

According to the outline application, the 455 homes would have between one and four bedrooms, with 114 residences designated affordable.

The project also includes several access points – one off Mold Road and the other off Stansty Chain Road.

Gary Lynch, planning director at Russell Homes, welcomed the committee’s decision and touted the scheme’s location.

“This is one of the most sustainable and sought-after sites in Wrexham, being opposite the retail centre, Plas Coch school, [Wrexham] University, and within a short walk of the train station and city centre,” Lynch said.

“We’ve sought to make the most of these strengths by further improving walking, cycling and public transport opportunities, and it is clear why local people would choose to live here,” he continued.

Lynch added later: “Fundamentally, the proposal will deliver much-needed quality homes, and respond to the large latent housing demand in the area. These proposals will have a tangible benefit for local people, for whom we did receive a lot of support from during the consultation stage.”

The project team for the scheme includes architect Nicol Thomas, E3P, Focus Transport Planning, Turley, RSK, TEP, and Randall Thorp.

The scheme will deliver 23 affordable homes. Credit: via planning documents

Land opposite of St Peters Close

• Application reference number: P/2021/1057

SG Estates’ application to build 92 homes on a 12-acre plot off Llay New Road in Rhosrobin was a more straightforward matter, with councillors taking about an hour to deliberate over whether or not to give the project the green light.

In the end, councillors voted to approve the application.

Saer Architects designed the scheme, which includes 23 affordable homes and the installation of a Llay New Road and Rhosrobin Road roundabout. The project also features plans to increase biodiversity on the site.

In addition to Saer, the project team includes Nigel Thorns Planning Consultancy, Redmore Environmental, Ecological Design Consultant, Tree Solutions, and REFA Consulting Engineers.