POLITICIANS in Wrexham are being urged not to make changes to a tree preservation order despite claims it is delaying new custody cells.

There have been mounting calls for the protection order to a tree outside Wrexham Magistrates Court to be lifted in order to allow a new custody suite to be built.

It comes as all custodial cases for the town are currently being dealt with in Mold as a result of the closure of its police station.

Wrexham MP Ian Lucas said it was causing a great deal of inconvenience to witnesses, victims of crime and solicitors, as well as defendants.

However, officers at Wrexham Council have advised planning committee members to confirm the order without alterations, despite Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service also raising concerns.

Mr Lucas said he was unhappy with the latest development and accused the authority of prolonging the process.

He said: “There is an urgent need for a custody suite to be built at Wrexham Magistrates Court and I am hugely disappointed by the time it is taking to sort this out.

“The various issues involved – including tree protection orders – should have been resolved long ago by Wrexham Council and HM Courts and Tribunal Services, when I warned about the implications of relocating the police station.

“The court is an important civic and commercial facility in the town. We do not want to lose it.

“Wrexham Council and HM Courts and Tribunal Services must make it an urgent priority to work through any difficulties and deliver this long-overdue project so we can return to having a fully-functioning court service in Wrexham.”

Until recently Wrexham Magistrates Court used cells at the neighbouring police station – but they are no longer available after staff relocated to a new premises in Llay.

Mr Lucas has raised the issue about the lack of custody facilities since news of the move was announced in 2015.

Meanwhile, the court service has raised objections to the protection order through property agents GVA, claiming it would cause a negative impact for the local economy and employment.

However, in a report the council’s head of environment and planning said the value of the tree was ‘priceless’ and the order should not be changed.

Lawrence Isted said: “The concerns expressed by GVA with regards to the trees as a material constraint to development should be addressed by the council during the determination of any such planning application rather than through the confirmation process of a tree preservation order, which simply seeks to discuss and make permanent a tree preservation order and nothing more.

“The amenity value provided by the individual tree as well as the trees as a collective unit is significant in the fact that the prominence and visibility of the trees provides a ‘sense of place’ and identity to Wrexham town centre.”

“Additional benefits in protecting these trees goes beyond that of amenity with the trees themselves reaching an age range whereby they now provide the maximum environmental and ecological returns to the community; benefits and services which may be considered priceless in terms of climate mitigation alone.

“It is the officer’s considered opinion that the tree preservation order for ‘Law

Courts and Police Headquarters, Bodhyfryd, Wrexham’ should be confirmed without modification.”

The order will be discussed by councillors at a meeting next Monday March 4.