Wrexham have issued an apology after the club was criticised for opening a new training pavilion without first securing planning permission. The Championship club's chief executive, Michael Williamson, said earlier this month that first-team players had started using the new building at Colliers Park in Gresford, describing the development as a "significant step forward" for the Welsh side as they target promotion to the Premier League.
However, the facility was built and opened without formal planning permission being granted. An application to build the new pavilion was only lodged in August, when it was nearly finished, with the club's actions upsetting the local Gresford Community Council, which objected to the application.
Committee chair criticises club
As Wrexham.com reports, the case went before Wrexham Council's planning committee this week. The committee's chair, Cllr Mike Morris, admonished the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-backed club, telling those in charge to "get their act in order".
"I do wish that people would get their act in order and not put in retrospective applications just because it suits you," he said. "Which, at the end of the day, that’s what it came down to. You wanted to do it in the summer, and you know the fact you’ve had good results, and you know the football club is doing very well, we all applaud that, but it’s no excuse for not following the procedure properly.
"It’s no different to any other retrospective application. So it will be a matter of members to consider whether they are going to support it or not, and that will come out in the debate."
Club issues sincere apology
In response, the football club's Chief Strategy Officer, Aidan Miller, issued a "sincere apology" to both the planning committee and local residents for beginning the development before permission had been secured.
"The club sought to undertake the works during the summer off-season period, when activity at the site is significantly reduced, allowing construction activity and associated impacts to be managed effectively and within the site footprint," he said. "The club recognises that planning permission would ordinarily be secured before development commences, and we sincerely apologise to the committee and local residents."
"Notwithstanding this, throughout the development of the project, the club has sought to act responsibly by selecting an established sporting location, making use of existing infrastructure and designed a proposal to minimise impacts on neighbouring occupiers and the wider community. The club has engaged fully and thoroughly with the planning process, including undertaking pre-application consultation, engaging with statutory consultees, and responding to matters raised in relation to parking, highways, and phosphate mitigation," Mr Miller added.
Application deferred
Council officers had recommended that delegated authority be given to grant permission for the development once outstanding responses from both Natural Resources Wales and the council’s highways officers had been received. However, with councillors still awaiting further information on the feasibility of connecting foul drainage at the development to the main sewer network, members voted on Monday to defer the application, meaning it will return to the committee at a later date.
