‘Eyesore’ city centre development site with outline planning for five storey flats up for sale

A long term vibrant and viable development site in Wrexham city centre is up for sale, after being branded an ‘eyesore’ and ‘neglected’ site.

The former Ebeneser Chapel site off Chester Road has been listed via Bowens agents as a ‘development’ site, with offers invited in the region of £675k.

The agents explain, “A cleared development site extending to approximately 0.41 acre with detailed consent for No. 23 apartments spread over up to five floors in a prime location close to the city centre, also suited to a number of other uses, subject to consent.

“This cleared development site, triangular in shape, extends to approximately 0.41 acre (0.166 ha). Detailed Planning Consent was renewed 19/08/2024 under Code No. P/2021/0313 for No. 23 apartments arranged over up to five floors. The site is also suited to a number of other uses, subject to further consent.

In April 2016 Wrexham.com reported that plans to demolish the former chapel and develop flats on the site, had been submitted. In February 2017 Wrexham.com reported that the redevelopment of the site received the backing of a £250,000 empty property loan from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places scheme – a scheme to regenerate and develop townscapes through positive investment.. The site was cleared in 2017.

Back in 2018 the people of Wrexham were told the work redeveloping the site was to start ‘soon’.

In 2021 the planning permission was extended with Brexit and the pandemic being blamed for delays, with the local community council calling the site an ‘eyesore’ on a key route into the city centre. Last year that was again extended, with more local criticisms from councillors – one branding it a ‘site of neglect’.

Buyers are told, “A Section 106 Agreement is in place covering Affordable Housing and Public Open Space contributions.”