Labour government finally withdraws controversial local plan

Plaid Cymru councillors (from left) Becca Martin, Andy Gallanders, Marc Jones, Carrie Harper and Annette Davies outside the Court of Appeal in 2024 to challenge the Welsh Government and housing developers.

Wrecsam's controversial Local Development Plan has finally been withdrawn by the Labour Government in Cardiff, almost three years after councillors voted to reject the plan.

The LDP included two huge housing schemes on either side of Wrecsam that amounted to more than 3,100 houses.

Councillor Marc Jones, leader of the Plaid Cymru group, was one of the councillors who took the Welsh Government and seven named housing corporations to the Court of Appeal to fight for the right of councils to make the final decision on its own local plan. 

He said: "Today feels like the end of a particularly long saga. The Labour Welsh Government has finally announced it is withdrawing the Local Development Plan for Wrecsam and that has real significance for communities across the borough. Critically I can’t see how the two super estates on Cefn Rd and Ruthin Rd - adding up to 3180 homes - can go ahead. We now have a chance to create a development plan that works for Wrecsam.

"This could have been so much easier - if the Welsh Government had listened to the council three years ago we would be well on our way to a new plan.

"Thanks to the councillors who stood their ground despite the threat of jail, the people that supported our legal case and the hundreds of people who attended public meetings on the matter. It shows that the local voice can win against all the odds - we took the developers and Welsh Government to court and won. It’s a significant day for local democracy and the people against the rich and powerful."