Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans to turn a site at the centre of an investigation into alleged illegal waste dumping into stables have been rejected by a north Wales council.
Proposals to develop the site off Talwrn Road in Coedpoeth – which has been subject to claims of unlawful waste dumping for five months – have been turned down by Wrexham Council planning officers.
According to the plans Talwrn Road would have been turned into stables and a menage – a training area for horses.
Work has continued on the site since investigations by both Natural Resources Wales and Wrexham Council resulted in stop notices being issued in recent months. NRW’s Section 59 notice requires all waste to be removed and the site to be returned to its original state by October 31.
Refusing permission for the site, planning officers said: “The proposed development, by reason of the extent of earthworks and substantial increase in land levels, would significantly alter the existing landform and topography of the site.
“The resulting elevated and exposed development would appear conspicuous and discordant within the open countryside, causing material harm to the character and visual amenity of the area.”
Much of that work has already been done and the elevated land will now need to be restored – a point acknowledged by the officers.
“Mixed waste has been deposited on the site to increase land levels and insufficient information has been provided to demonstrate that the site can be made suitable for the proposed development without unacceptable contamination or environmental risks,” they said.
“Furthermore, it has not been demonstrated how the proposed finished ground levels would be achieved following removal of the deposited waste required by the Section 59 notice. The proposal therefore fails to demonstrate that the development can proceed without unacceptable risks arising from contamination.
“The development has involved earthworks affecting land associated with the route of the former tramway between Talwrn and Vron Collieries. As these works have already been undertaken, the archaeological monitoring and recording that would otherwise have been required cannot now be secured in respect of those works.”
There were also concerns about safe vehicular access to the site and the lack of an ecological assessment.
Applicant Sean O’Sullivan said: “I am disappointed that Wrexham have refused my application for a menage and stables.
“Wrexham’s Unitary Development Plan is over 15 years out of date and the local authority’s reliance in the UDP to refuse planning applications has on numerous occasions been over turned by the planning inspectorate.
“I am weighing up my options and am engaging with consultants to address the reasons for refusal. I would also note that it is incredible how quickly Wrexham can act when it suits them.”
In a joint statement Coedpoeth’s County Councillors Cllr Anthony Wedlake and Cllr Krista Childs said: “We welcome Wrexham Council’s decision to refuse permission for the building of a menage and related buildings on land to the north of Talwrn Road.
“There are currently two notices in place on the site. The council has made clear its enforcement strategy. NRW has served a Section 59 notice which expires on October 30 and instructs the owner to remove all of the waste that has been tipped there.
“We call again on NRW to take immediate action, using all of its powers against the illegal tipping of waste on the site – not just relying on the Section 59 notice – and ensure that a full enforcement strategy is in place when the deadline expires.”
Individually Cllr Childs said: “This is an important milestone in the fight against unlawful tipping and developments in and around Coedpoeth.
“The enforcement process is painfully slow. We will continue to fight for the interests of our community and are grateful to so many residents for responding to the planning process and supporting efforts to highlight the blight on our village and surrounding areas.”
Cllr Wedlake added: “There is still a lot more to be done to combat illegal tipping and development.
“I also welcome this week’s decision by Coedpoeth Community Council to commit £10,000 – and more if required – to fund legal advice to defend our communities.”
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