COUNCILLORS QUESTION WELSH MINISTERS’ MOTIVATION OVER HOUSING PLAN LEGAL CHALLENGE

 

Plaid Cymru's Wrecsam councillors

‘Why are you doing this?’

Wrexham Councillors have expressed grave concern at the Welsh Government for taking further legal action over a controversial local housing plan.

Councillors won a Court of Appeal case in December where three judges unanimously agreed that an order to vote for the Local Development Plan was unlawful and should be quashed.

The councillors were opposed in court by the Welsh Government, seven major housing developers and Wrexham Council.

Since the judgement, Wrexham Council has announced it will not contest the court’s decision after taking legal advice.

It appears that the developers have also decided not to appeal.

That leaves the Welsh Government, which has already spent tens of thousands of pounds on this case, continuing the matter.

Although the Court of Appeal case was brought in the name of Cllr Marc Jones it was done on behalf of the majority of councillors who twice voted to oppose the Local Development Plan. They were opposed to plans to allow two “super-estates” on greenfield sites on the outskirts of Wrexham. The two sites alone amounted to more than 3,100 new houses despite 1600 empty properties in the borough and 3,000 homes already being granted planning permission but not yet built.

Councillors in a joint statement said: 

“We are deeply concerned that the Welsh Government is continuing its legal challenge against the right of local councils to decide what’s best for their area. The councillors’ case was funded by themselves and others in the community; the Welsh Government is spending more taxpayers’ money to try to win a case that was demolished in the Court of Appeal.

“Who in the Welsh Government has authorised this fresh appeal? Which Government minister approved it at a time when they should have a laser-like focus on sorting out the NHS, reducing child poverty and pensioners left out in the cold?

“Our case is simple - we want a plan that meets the needs of Wrexham. We don’t agree with the plan Inspectors want to impose on us and we have the right to reject it. That was the Court of Appeal’s clear ruling.

“The Welsh Government has sided with the developers not local democracy at every step of the way. Why?

“Is it a personal attack?

“Is it because the Government ministers don’t want councils to challenge their authority?

“Why are they so determined to push through this plan against local wishes, against their own targets for affordable housing and against the majority of Wrexham councillors elected to represent the people?"

The plan saw Inspectors slashing the number of “affordable” housing in half to just 9% of the total allocations. Councillors maintain that building new executive housing on greenfield sites will not answer the existing houses requirements of Wrexham.