We want a successful Glyndwr University - but not at the expense of the wider community

by Councillor Marc Jones, Grosvenor ward

PLAS COCH HOUSING PLANNING APPLICATION - P/2018/0671

Glyndwr University have submitted plans to re-develop its campus, which will have a significant impact on the surrounding area.

The university plans to finance these developments by gaining planning permission for various parcels of land it owns in the county borough. These include the Dean Road playing field, land in New Broughton, the Art College, land behind the Racecourse and land off Plas Coch Road.

The last two are in my ward and will have an impact on local residents. Now I'm off the planning committee I can speak freely in advance of the July 1st planning meeting about these proposals.

This meeting will be a marathon as there are nine planning applications by Glyndwr alone - most of which are highly contentious.

Because of their size, I'm going to take the ones in my ward one by one. So first off is the most problematic.

The proposal is to demolish the old student village adjacent to the Tennis Centre and build 410 new flats in a series of four-storey blocks.

These are intended for workers, not students, so there are inevitable consequences in terms of additional congestion and parking.

Parking

The proposal does not provide one car parking space per flat. Given the evidence we have re car use and the lack of adequate public transport, it's highly likely that residents in this new development will park in nearby areas. This will increase the existing parking problems we have in Rhosddu, where many residents already have trouble parking outside their own homes.

Congestion

The proposed exit and entry to this new mini-village is the Plas Coch roundabout opposite the pub. This is already a highly congested area due to the retail park, school and commuters trying to access the A483. The problem is clear to anyone who lives on the road in the mornings and evenings with long tailbacks.

The recent approvals for a hotel and drive-thru coffee shop on Plas Coch will make the situation marginally worse. However this proposal will mean hundreds of additional cars trying to access this road daily at various times of the day.

The plans - which can be viewed by going to Wrexham Council's planning portal and typing in P/2018/0671 - are opposed by the council's own Highways Department on the grounds of congestion and inadequate parking. For this reason alone they should be refused by planning committee.

Over the coming days I'll be sharing information about the other elements of the Glyndwr planning proposals.

I want Glyndwr University to succeed - it's a huge asset to the town. But I don't want that success to be at the expense of the wider community.