A WREXHAM councillor is objecting to plans to build over 90 homes on the outskirts of a village.

Gwersyllt councillor, Pete Howell, highlights the "further threat of urban sprawl", and the ultimate loss of identity for the village of Gwersyllt as being the reasons for his opposition to the scheme.

Castle Green Homes has launched a consultation to build 96 houses on former argricultural land bordering Mold Road in Gwersyllt and the current St Giles Park estate prior to an official planning application.

It has already met fierce objections by local residents, with an online petition that has already received almost 200 signatures. 

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Pete Howell, Plaid Cymru councillor for Gwersyllt South, said: “This is another attempt to build yet more housing on agricultural land.

"There are massive worries among residents about the impact this would have on the current road infrastructure too, with a single access in and out of the development onto the busy A541 Mold Road, with a right-turn lane crossing a dual carriageway where a 40mph and 50mph speed limit meet causing an increase in road traffic collisions.

“The traffic assessments in the documentation were performed in 2020 during the pandemic, so are fundamentally flawed, and the pure ‘guesstimates’ on future traffic numbers reducing due to more people ‘working from home’ are foolhardy to say the least."

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He added: "Along with the loss of natural habitat for badgers, water voles, hedgehogs and potentially bats and great-crested newts, any future application should be thrown out without any further consideration.

"My ward alone - which includes Rhosrobin and Pandy as well as parts of Gwersyllt - currently has planning permission approved or pending for almost 700 new houses. This new application would take it to almost 800. There's a real problem with this kind of patchwork development."

Councillor Howell added: "We're seeing housing developments that, if they all get approval, will see the green space between Wrexham and our villages virtually disappear. This is creating urban sprawl and will put huge additional pressures on local health services and schools.

"School, GP and dentist spaces are already at a premium within the village, and a further increase in population will just result in increased waiting lists and a spiral of anxiety and frustration for residents."

Castle Green Homes has been approached for comment.