A BLUEPRINT for a potential 8,000 new homes in Wrexham has taken a step forward, despite fears parts of the area will become a ‘concrete jungle’.

Leading politicians on Wrexham Council have voted to send its proposed Local Development Plan (LDP) to an inspector from the Welsh Government for consideration.

It comes despite 2,500 objections being received from members of the public, the majority of which focused on the potential location of three gypsy and traveller sites in Llay, Brymbo and Hanmer.

Protesters with placards gathered outside Wrexham’s Guildhall ahead of today’s meeting and there was a packed public gallery.

However, the majority of executive board members voted for the plan to go to the next stage, with only deputy leader Hugh Jones against.

Cllr Jones, leader of the Conservative group, said he could not back the proposals because of the impact of housing developments on rural communities, including his ward in Rossett.

He said: “I believe some of the gaps in evidence actually go to the heart of the soundness of the plan and it is for those reasons that I won’t be supporting this plan either today or in council.

“I have some concerns around the deliverability of the major sites because I believe that could result in a concrete jungle being imposed upon rural communities against the wishes of those communities.

“There’s been reference made that not having an LDP leads to an attack on agricultural land.

“Well, nothing is a greater attack on agricultural land than this plan we have before us today.”

The document still has a major hurdle to overcome at next week’s full council meeting as a large number of backbench councillors signalled their opposition.

Cllr Mike Davies, Independent representative for Rhosnesni, said he believed the housing figures would have a negative effect on Wrexham.

He said: “I’m concerned that we’re losing our identity as a town and we’re moving away from being a market town to being a commuter town.

“I think it’s too big and we shouldn’t be pushing for 8,000 to keep Cardiff happy.”

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru’s Carrie Harper claimed the population figures the plan was based on were ‘flawed’.

She said: “There is no local need for this level of development in Wrexham.

"These are not affordable houses for the vast majority of local people in Wrexham and local people in Wrexham don’t want it.”

Most of the objections raised during the meeting were regarding proposed gypsy and traveller sites on an area of green barrier land at Pont y Capel Lane in Llay and a former sewage works on Coed y Felin Road in Brymbo.

It was questioned why the Llay land had been included when it is part of Alyn Waters Country Park and restricted for recreational use by a legal covenant.

Meanwhile, road accidents were highlighted on the approach to the Brymbo site, as well as the unknown cost of dealing with contaminated land.

Combined with an area off the A525 in Hanmer, the aim is to provide a combined total of 19 pitches for the travelling community.

In response to concerns, executive board members warned that the authority would lose control of the LDP process to the Welsh Government if it did not move the own plan forward.

Cllr David Kelly (Ind), the authority’s lead member for planning said: “The large number of objections are in relation to three gypsy traveller sites and it has to be taken into context that the council has statutory duty to provide these sites.

“The requirement is actually for about 40 odd pitches, but that is mitigated by the current applications that have come in.

“We need this plan to prevent speculative or predatory development.

“I urge members to allow the plan to go forward to examination in public where all the views of constitutents can be heard by the inspector.”

After gaining the approval of most board members, the plan will now go to a full council meeting on Thursday, November 22, where all 52 representatives will have their say.