Wrexham; 45 new homes could be built in Overton village

Wrexham Council has received an application earmarked for land off St Mary’s Avenue in Overton.

It has been submitted by developers Pickstock Homes and a planning statement has been issued on their behalf by Lambert Smith Hampton outlining the proposals.

According to the application the site was designated as sound for development in Wrexham’s draft Local Development Plan, although that blueprint was rejected by councillors last week who voted against implementing it.

The proposed development would feature a mix of single storey and two storey dwellings; nine two-bedroom homes, 21 three-bedroom homes and 14 four-bedroom homes.

“The site is located approximately 130m to the east of Overton’s main high street”, the planning statement says.

“The site is surrounded by a mix of land uses including residential, education, commercial and sport facilities and is well positioned to access a number of services.

“Just over 30 per cent of the housing provision will be affordable, meaning 14 affordable dwellings are proposed out of the proposed 45 units.

“Each of the proposed dwellings have well-proportioned private gardens as well as curtilage landscape area fronting onto the estate road.

“Parking is included within the curtilage of the dwellings in line with the council's parking strategy.”

A view of the land in Overton where the development is planned (Image: Wrexham Council planning documents)

The planning statement adds: “The house types will include traditional detailing, corbeled brick eaves, brick arches, stone cills and oak porches.

“Street patterns within the development have also been chosen to reflect those currently existing within the locality.”

The ongoing environmental issue of phosphates – which can cause water pollution in rivers - has also been addressed in the planning documents.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has targets to reduce phosphate levels in special areas of conservation across Wales and while they, the Welsh Government, and local authorities have been working to find a solution to the issue, it has seen progress stall on proposed local developments in the past year or so.

In separate notes on the phosphates issue, the applicants behind this proposal say: “There is an argument that the increase in phosphate would be negligible and since the sensitive area is not currently failing its phosphate levels it follows that the development would not need to be strictly phosphate neutral in this instance.

“If however strict phosphate neutrality needed to be achieved, the tertiary treatment at the outfall of the WWTW (waste water treatment works) would be seen as a viable option through an appropriately designed constructed wetland to remove sufficient phosphorus entering the sensitive site.”

Wrexham Council planners will make a decision on the application at a future date.