Apartments for homeless set to get go-ahead

PLANS to demolish a night shelter in Wrexham to make way for 19 apartments for homeless people look set to go ahead.

Clwyd Alyn Housing Association applied earlier this year to create self-contained accommodation and a homeless support centre to replace the existing Tŷ Nos night shelter on Holt Road.

It followed £2.2m being made available by the Welsh Government to fund the project.

The proposals due to be considered by councillors next week show the development would include five buildings, each measuring two storeys in height.

The scheme has been backed for approval by Wrexham Council’s chief planning officer, who said it would help to address the problem of homelessness in the area.

In a report, Lawrence Isted said: “The proposed flats would be occupied by people designated as homeless and the site would be run by Clwyd Alyn Housing Association who has entered into a legal agreement with the council to manage the site in this way.

“This application has been submitted on the basis that there is an acute and identifiable need for high quality residential units to house people living within Wrexham and the wider area.

“The current proposal offers the opportunity to regenerate and visually enhance the area in accordance with planning policies.

“A safe and satisfactory means of access to the site has been proposed, and there would be no detrimental impact upon local residential amenity.

“Subject to conditions, it is considered that the development complies with all of the relevant local planning policies, and I recommend approval accordingly.”

The amount of people presenting as homeless to the council has increased sharply since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in March last year.

Figures released in December showed a total of 505 people had sought assistance, around a fifth of whom had recently been released from prison.

Officials have put a number of measures in place to tackle the issue, including buying the former Grove Guest House on Chester Road to use as temporary homeless accommodation.

A decision will be made on the application for the Tŷ Nos site at a planning committee meeting on Monday (June 7, 2021).