10 reasons to reject Redrow's 1500-home housing estate

Councillor Kate Wilkinson of Offa ward outlines her opposition to the Redrow development.

This is a submission on behalf of Plaid Cymru in Wrecsam re the proposed Lower Berse Farm housing development.

We do not believe this housing estate is in the best interests of Wrecsam's people and communities for the following reasons:

1. The site lies outside the existing Unitary Development Plan, which is still extant, and would involve Tarmacing over some of area's Best and Most Valuable agricultural land, at a time when food security and climate change is a growing issue.

2. The proposal to build 1500 three- and four-bedroomed houses on the site will not meet existing demand in Wrecsam for social housing. The affordable housing is just 15% of the total and will not be genuinely affordable to the vast majority of people on the council's housing waiting list. New four-bed houses in Wrecsam are currently on the market for £380-400,000 so an 'affordable' house on your site would be £266-280,000. Affordable to whom?

3. Due to problems with phosphorous and the Welsh Government's decision not to upgrade Junction 5 of the A483, the Redrow proposals involve the developer building a new sewage plant and upgrading the slip roads on the A483. This will involve greater costs for the developer than initially envisaged and that, in turn, will lead to viability issues. We believe this will enable the developer to reduce their commitment to deliver affordable housing and other s106 obligations. This could see no house being available onsite below market prices.

4. Transport - The existing road network is accepted as being sub-standard for the existing number of cars and journeys. It's inevitable that the new development will generated many thousands of additional car journeys a day as people travel to work, to shop, take children to school and after-school events as well as visitors coming to see friends and relatives. The proposed additional lanes to the sliproads on the A483 will do little to address these thousands of additional journeys and the existing traffic congestion at peak hours.

5. Public transport - in the consultation, Redrow claimed that bus services would be subsidised on the estate for up to five years. This is not sustainable.

6. Education - 1500 homes are likely to generate at least 500 additional school-age pupils. The new primary school will provide some space for children on the estate but many will wish to travel to other primary schools due to convenience or a preference for faith or Welsh-medium education. Is there any consideration for these additional journeys as well as secondary school pupils travelling to schools other than Ysgol Clywedog?

7. Health care - local GP practices and A&E department are currently overstretched. How will this be aided by an additional 1500 households and what additional support will Redrow provide to mitigate that impact? There is no provision for additional health services in this proposal.

8. Waste and water treatment - one proposal to overcome the current phosphorous problem in the Dee Valley Catchment area is to build a private private water treatment facility onsite. Has Redrow had any discussions with Dwr Cymru and/or Natural Resources Wales regarding this proposal to assess whether it is a credible alternative? What impact would discharges into the Clywedog and other water courses have on the environment? What will the management fees for residents be to maintain the water treatment facility?

9. The population of Wrecsam County Borough is currently projected to fall by 1.5% over the next decade. It has been static for the past seven years. There is no evidence base to demonstrate local need for these houses. The proposed Local Development Plan, which does include this Key Strategic Site in its allocation, was based on flawed population projections and should not be used as a basis for planning permission. 

10. For these reasons, Plaid Cymru in Wrecsam do not believe the proposed housing estate is sustainable or desirable. It will contribute to growing urban sprawl that sees Wrecsam town merging with neighbouring villages such as Bersham and Rhostyllen. The council has declared a climate emergency and should take into account the impact such large greenfield developments will have on future generations' wellbeing. 

We're supporting local residents to oppose 1500 houses off Berse Rd and opposing Labour's Development Plan. Please sign the petition to resist Redrow here.

You can also watch our new video outlining our objections here.