Concerns raised over proposed site for Wrexham car wash business

CONCERNS have been raised over plans for a car wash and tyre fitting business to be set up on land in Wrexham where a theatre once stood.

An application is due to be considered next week to redevelop the old Wrexham Musical Theatre Society site in the town centre.

The building on Salop Road, which dated back to the late-1800s, was closed in spring 2014 due to dwindling membership numbers and rising maintenance costs.

It was then demolished two years later and the site has remained vacant ever since.

Proposals are now on the table for it to be used by a car wash and tyre fitting firm.

However, community leaders have voiced fears that it could lead to the pollution of the nearby River Gwenfro, as well as causing traffic congestion in the area.

In a response submitted ahead of a meeting to decide on the plans next week, members of Caia Park Community Council said: “Given the close proximity of the river, there is potential for pollution, either discharges or solid material.

“This area has a history of being problematic in terms of blockages of the river which is culverted a short distance away under the industrial units on Rivulet Road.

“The intensification of traffic accessing and egressing from the site given its location gives cause for concern as it is a very busy junction with already complex traffic features.”

It was previously proposed that the land would be used for housing, while similar plans to the current scheme were rejected last year on flood risk and traffic related grounds.

But members of Wrexham Council’s planning committee have been advised they should grant permission for the latest application.

The recommendation comes despite objections from the local authority’s own highways department.

The council’s chief planning officer said changes had been made to address the earlier issues.

In a report, Lawrence Isted said: “It has been concluded that as there would be no land raising at the site the risks and consequences of flooding would be manageable to an acceptable level.

“It is therefore considered that the consequences of flooding have been fully assessed and found acceptable.

“Overall, due to the relocation of the site access, ingress and egress can take place safely.

“Whilst noting concerns of highways, when considering the layout of the site, incorporation of a yellow box junction and the confirmation of the size of the delivery vans, cars would not, in most occasions, queue on Rivulet Road.”

A decision will be made on the proposals at a meeting being held on Monday (September 6, 2021).