AN EFFORT to challenge the court-ordered adoption of Wrexham's Local Development Plan (LDP) has surpassed its initial financial target.

The Leader reported on Friday how an appeal set up on the funding platform CrowdJustice aimed to raise money for a challenge to a "fundamentally unfair and undemocratic situation" brought about at the end of 2023.

It comes after a court quashed two of Wrexham Council's votes earlier in the year to reject the LDP - and ordered the authority to vote again, this time to adopt it.

The vote took place in December and despite the plan being accepted, a number of councillors aired their concerns about being made to go against their beliefs, with some walking out of the meeting and others not attending at all.

Cllr Carrie Harper likened the situation to having "a gun to our heads" given the risk of further court action - even imprisonment - should the council defy the Judge's ruling.

The CrowdJustice page, set up by an organiser simply named "Wrexham Councillors", states the organisers' aim is "to challenge this fundamentally unfair and undemocratic situation via a court review of the council's decision to adopt the plan by bringing proceedings through the planning court."

Its initial goal of £6,500 to fund "legal advice" towards that aim has since been met, with the current pledge total sitting at just under £7,000.

As such, a "stretch target" of £20,000 has now been set.

A number of the donors, some of whom have pledged hundreds of pounds, have passed comment on the appeal - either unnamed or with first names only.

One anonymous person who pledged £500 simply said: "Good luck in your fight for democracy."

Roger commented: "We voted for our councillors to look after our best interests. They now need our support to do that."

Another anonymous donor said: "This is so important to everyone in Wrexham and across the UK. Keep up the great work."

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Mark said: "Councillors should be able to reject plans submitted based on the local plan as approved by the inspector.

"If not, this is a failure of local democracy."

Wayne said: "The councillors democratic right to vote any way they choose must be upheld at all costs - that is the whole idea of a democracy."

An anonymous donor said: "Developers riding roughshod over democratically elected representatives of communities across the UK must stop."

Another added: "Thousands of extra houses, but no improvement in roads or services.

"This is not planning - It's organised chaos!"

A donor named 'V' said: "Thank you for taking up the cause.

"We must defend our democratic rights, come what may.

"People gave their lives on account of our democratic rights."