WREXHAM: Planning application backlog caused by phosphates

Two years ago Natural Resources Wales (NRW) published new targets to reduce river phosphate levels in special areas of conservation (SAC) across Wales.

It followed concerns about an increase in phosphate concentrations – which can cause water pollution in rivers.

While Natural Resources Wales, the Welsh Government and local authorities have been working together to try and find a solution to the issue, progress on developments locally and nationally has slowed, and in some cases stalled.

Planning applications locally have had to be rejected on phosphate reasons alone while other applications are being held up in the system, and Wrexham Council’s leadership say builders and developers are starting to become wary of submitting applications altogether.

Speaking at a media briefing, leader of the council, Esclusham Cllr Mark Pritchard (Ind) said there are thousands of planning applications that have been lodged with the authority ‘just sitting on desks’ because of the issue.

“I’ve said for some time the phosphates issue was going to bring Wales to a standstill with regards to investment, growth and the economy”, he said.

“I hope that there’s enough common sense within the Welsh Government to address this, pick this issue up and take it forward.

“They have to find a way forward on this. We have 3,500 planning applications sitting on our desks in planning to be taken forward, and we can’t, because of the phosphates issue.

“All authorities are sitting on thousands of planning applications ready to be processed and they can’t because of the phosphates issue.

“This is bigger than Wrexham, it’s bigger than North Wales. A decision has to be made by Welsh Government and I believe what they were trying to do was fair and balanced, but it’s the timescale which has caused us all problems, including Wrexham.”

Cllr Mark Pritchard

Summits have been held between local authorities, through the WLGA (Wales Local Government Authority), the Welsh Government and water companies to try and resolve the issue.

But despite all parties getting round the table, an acceptable solution to the issue has yet to be found.

Cllr Pritchard said that because of this there will be thousands of planning applications, worth millions of pounds to the economy sitting on the desks of planning departments across the country.

“We’ve tried to find a way forward on this”, he said.

“I would hope there is an announcement quickly on it that there is a way forward but it could be months, it could go into next year.

“I know they are having difficulties in finding a way forward.

“If you look at Wrexham, there are only so many water treatment plants that can cater for phosphates and that’s just the way it is.

“We’ve only got a certain amount of capacity within the water treatment sites to cater for it.

“Do I embrace what they are trying to do? Absolutely. We all want to clean our rivers and waterways up, of course we do.

“But it’s like everything else, you have to mitigate the risk and you have to put money in.

“I’m inundated with complaints from people in Wrexham and further afield who are frustrated that their planning application is sitting on the desk, waiting to be processed because we can’t move forward with it.”

He added: “This is affecting the local and national economy. There are millions of pounds involved here. It’ll be interesting to see the building centres, how much their business has fallen by.

“Welsh Government, water companies, ourselves and other organisations have to find a way forward to resolve this, and maybe have to reconsider the amount of strip out they have in the phosphates to make this achievable.”