Plans to create a trampoline park within Wrexham’s former Debenhams store have been approved.
It follows councillors being told it would help revive the fortunes of the Eagles Meadow shopping centre, where the large unit is based.
The department store closed its doors in May 2021 after the high street chain entered administration.
Several other big retailers have left the shopping centre in recent years, with Marks and Spencer relocating to the Plas Coch retail park in December 2023.
A planning application was submitted in March for part of the Debenhams building to be re-used for leisure purposes after standing empty for nearly three years.
Wrexham Shopping Mall Ltd, which owns Eagles Meadow, revealed at the time that talks had been held with a firm interested in transforming the first floor of the unit into a children’s trampoline park.
The proposals were discussed at a meeting on Wrexham Council's planning committee held yesterday (Monday, 22 July).
Planning officer Matthew Phillips said the application would benefit both Eagles Meadow and the wider city centre.
He said: “This is a very significant unit, which covers approximately a third of the total retail floor space in Eagles Meadow.
“It's been vacant for just over three years, so it's not making any positive contributions to the vitality of the city centre.
“I think it's very unlikely that the whole of it will be reoccupied for another retail unit.
“Bringing a recreational use there will bring footfall to Eagles Meadow.
“It will also benefit the wider city centre, bringing an empty unit back into use and bringing footfall into the area.”
Concerns were raised before the meeting that allowing the trampoline park to open could pose health and safety issues due to the risk of customers getting injured.
However, officials recommended the proposals for approval as they said such matters were outside the committee’s remit.
They added that the tenants would need to comply with any relevant health and safety legislation.
Local councillor Jon Jolley (Plaid) said: “The aspects that were raised by locals have been covered and I can't think of any reason to oppose it.
“It's only a net benefit and I can see it's an area that's not getting used at the moment.”
The proposals show the unit would be subdivided between the ground and first floor, with a new entrance created on the shopping centre’s balcony.
Food and drink is also expected to be sold from the old Debenhams cafe.
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Cllr I David Bithell (Ind) supported the plans and highlighted the economic benefits.
He said: “It was sad to see what happened to Debenhams and Marks and Spencers.
“This is going to bring it back into life again and bring some footfall to the area.”
The application was unanimously approved by the committee at the end of the debate.
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