Public meeting held after Coedpoeth field ripped up

The meeting, which was attended by around 400 members of the community on Friday night (September 4), was organised by Coedpoeth councillor Anthony Wedlake, and Minera councillor Kate Coventry.

A packed out Coedpoeth Parish Hall for the meeting. (Image: Newsquest)

It was held amid ongoing unauthorised development sites in the area. Alleged illegal dumping has been taking place on land off Castle Road for months, and over the weekend a field was torn up off Nant Lais/Old Smelt Road without planning permission.

Wrexham Council chief executive, Alywn Jones, chief planning officer, Ian Jones, Keith Ivens, operations manager at Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Police Superintendent Mark Williams.

The meeting followed a demonstration by local councillors and residents outside Wrexham Council's headquarters earlier in the day - calling for more action to stop the work taking place.

During the meeting, residents made empassioned pleas to those on the panel for action.

Ian Jones, Chief Officer for Economy and Planning at Wrexham County Borough Council, told residents that officers acted on the same day they became aware of activities at the sites.

He said temporary stop notices had been issued under powers available through the Town and Country Planning Act and confirmed the council was treating the matter as a priority.

Mr Jones said planning officers had spent the past week gathering evidence, consulting barristers and examining what further enforcement action could be taken.

"We see the breaches, we hear the concerns, and we hear what the community are telling us," he said.

"We will do what we can in terms of our enforcement tools and the powers available to us to get that remedy."

A placard placed at the meeting. (Image: Newsquest)

He added that if a retrospective planning application is submitted, residents will have the opportunity to formally comment as part of a public consultation process before the matter is considered by the council's planning committee.

Wrexham Council chief executive Alwyn Jones told residents the authority would commit whatever resources were necessary to support enforcement efforts.

"I want to reassure my commitment to that," he said.

"We will set aside whatever resources Ian's team need in terms of addressing these planning breaches."

He said support existed both among council officers and elected members for taking action where planning rules had been breached.

Calls for faster action

The meeting, which was briefly disrupted when a couple of people were escorted out by the police, heard repeated questions from residents who argued that enforcement action elsewhere in the UK had been carried out more quickly.

Several attendees expressed frustration that activity at the sites appeared to be continuing despite stop notices being issued.

Cllr Anthony Wedlake (Image: Newsquest)

One resident challenged officials over the potential environmental damage being caused while investigations continue.

Mr Jones responded by saying the council was already studying examples of enforcement action taken elsewhere and had contacted another local authority whose response had been described as particularly effective.

"If we see there are best practices undertaken elsewhere, we will be committed to learn from those," he said.

NRW investigation could take months

Pete Irons, Operations Manager at Natural Resources Wales, confirmed NRW officers had been on site and were gathering evidence as part of an ongoing investigation.

Mr Irons said NRW was working closely with Wrexham Council and North Wales Police and described the case as a priority.

One of the signs at the public meeting. (Image: Newsquest)

However, he acknowledged that regulatory investigations can take significant time.

"Our investigations, even as a priority, will take months," he said.

He explained that evidence gathering would need to be followed by legal review before any decision on court action could be considered.

Mr Irons said NRW had considered issuing its own stop notice but decided this was unnecessary after Wrexham Council had already taken that step.

Police promise increased presence

Superintendent Mark Williams told residents that while planning enforcement was not primarily a police matter, the force was investigating reports of intimidation, road traffic offences and wider community concerns connected to the developments.

He sought to reassure residents that authorities were working together behind the scenes.

"I can tell you categorically that that stop notice is not the only thing we are doing," he said.

"What I cannot do in front of 400 people is tell you exactly every tactic that the council, the police and Natural Resources Wales are doing."

The superintendent confirmed there would be an increased police presence in Minera and Ffrith in the coming weeks and encouraged residents to continue reporting information through police channels and Crimestoppers.

The meeting ended with officials reiterating their commitment to pursuing all available enforcement options while investigations continue. Residents were told that any future planning applications would be subject to public consultation, allowing local people to formally voice their views.