A POSITIVE announcement could soon be made on plans to transform one of the main gateways into Wrexham.

It follows calls for money to be unlocked to regenerate the Mold Road corridor into the town to help businesses recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

Many companies have taken a large financial hit during the crisis after being forced to close their doors to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Billions of pounds worth of support have already been made available for firms who have been impacted by the crisis.

Wrexham Council officials said it was also vital for regeneration schemes to be backed, including the Wrexham Gateway Project which was announced last year.

The ambitious plans include a new 5,000-seater stand to replace Wrexham AFC’s famous Kop End, as well as conferencing facilities, improvements to Wrexham General Railway Station and a four star hotel.

Council leader Mark Pritchard said delivering the changes was key to aiding the recovery process once the pandemic is over.

Speaking earlier this week, he said: “The problem is that we have to transform Wrexham and what we want to do with the Western Gateway and the town centre will cost a substantial amount of money.

“We’re ambitious, you’ve seen the plans we have for it and this one is within the hands of both governments.

“I had a conversation with some ministers yesterday to put some more money into Wrexham and we’re waiting for that.

“We’ve been very proactive during COVID-19 to keep on beating the drum. This isn’t just Wrexham – it’s all the different town centres and cities across Wales.”

“If the Welsh Government come out and they say they’re going to announce £10m for town centres then it’s not going to work.”

He added: “If you divide it between the 22 and the amount of money which is needed, it’s not enough.

“There needs to be massive investment and they need to have big aspirations to deliver changes in the town centre.”

Funding has yet to be formally agreed for the mix of public and privately-led schemes, but a number of organisations in Wrexham have  expressed their commitment.

The Welsh Government is viewed as a key enabler of the project and has now revealed there could be good news on the horizon.

A spokesperson said: “The Wrexham Gateway Partnership between Welsh Government, Wrexham County Borough Council and Glyndwr University continues to make strong progress despite the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is rapidly developing plans to create a high quality, modern gateway to the town.

“We expect to make a positive announcement on progress on the project in the near future.

“We will continue to work with stakeholders and partners to consider how best we can prioritise actions and resources to help town centres.”

It is understood some elements of the masterplan would require compulsory purchase orders to take control of land around Mold Road.

The local authority’s chief executive has also stressed the importance of the scheme.

Ian Bancroft said: “I think it’s even more relevant now as we come out of COVID-19.

“There is a unified commitment to the vision for the town centre and that’s been worked through with businesses and also the industrial estate in terms of supporting local businesses there.”