CONCERNS have been raised over plans to reduce the number of parking spots at Wrexham Bus Station.

Wrexham Council has applied to bring the number of off-street parking spaces on Trinity Street in the town centre down from five to four.

Planning chiefs said the move had been put forward to avoid a conflict with the turning circle for buses using the station.

However, objectors have argued that there are too many buses using it, and any change should not be to the disadvantage of disabled people.

The spaces were originally introduced in 2016 to make up for the loss of disabled parking at Wrexham Library, because of the construction of new police cells.

In a report, the authority’s head of planning has recommended the proposals to reduce the spaces for approval.

He said: “These five bus station spaces referred to were implemented in accordance with the wording of the condition so that when development commenced on the police station conversion, there would be an immediate compensation for their loss at the Rhosddu Road library car park.

“This application now before members seeks to vary the wording of the relevant condition as to reduce the number of spaces required from five to four.

“The justification for this is that when the space allocated closest to Trinity Street is occupied, it interferes with the turning of buses leaving the bus station operational parking area.

“This is not considered acceptable to the operation of the bus station.”

Representatives from the AVOW voluntary organisation, which is located nearby, have opposed the plans.

They claimed that problems only occur when buses are not parked in their designated bays.

But Mr Isted said he was satisfied that there were safety concerns for buses.

He added: “Buses use the site to pick up passengers in service from the designated stands, however there are often occasions when buses ‘lay over’ – that is to say where buses wait between timetabled services.

“It appears that problems occur at busy periods when there are a larger number of waiting buses, especially in close proximity to the newly marked out mobility spaces in question.

“The site is surrounded by other on street parking options for mobility users, namely King Street, Egerton Street, Duke Street and Rhosddu Road.

“I am satisfied that the loss of one mobility standard space in this location would not be detrimental to town centre users as a whole.”

The proposals will go before Wrexham Council’s planning committee next Monday.