Plans approved to create 14 apartments in Wrexham city centre

Plans to create 14 apartments on the upper floors of a building in Wrexham city centre have been approved.

An application was submitted to Wrexham Council in September 2022 to convert part of the property on King Street for residential use.

The first and second floors of the Imperial Buildings, which were built in the 1970s, were previously used as council offices but have been empty for some time.

The current building is located on the site of the late Victorian Imperial Hotel, which gave the property its name.

It is also home to a number of businesses at ground floor level, including Town and Country Estate Agents and Perfect Pizza, which will be unaffected by the plans.

M1 Investments Ltd, which is behind the scheme, said the proposals would help bring vacant areas of the property back into use.

Officials from the local authority have now given the green light for the development to go ahead, according to a decision notice published on the council’s website.

In a design and access statement submitted alongside the plans, agents representing the applicants said: “The proposal presents a good opportunity for the re-use of an existing building in a sustainable location that is close to existing amenities, services and transport links.

“The proposed residential units will make a small but meaningful contribution to much needed housing within Wrexham.

“The size of units also contributes to the mix in developments in close proximity to the site and the wider area.

“The change of use will see a long-term vacant building come back into meaningful use whilst maintaining existing ground floor uses.

“Rationalising the use class of accommodation above ground floor will allow the building to be managed appropriately.”

Documents show six apartments will be created on the first floor of the building and eight on the second.

It’s expected that all 14 apartments will be made available for rent once they have been built.

The council’s website shows the application has been approved using delegated powers given to planning officers to determine minor applications.

Permission has been granted subject to the developer making financial contributions towards improvements to public spaces on Regent Street and Hope Street and to fund the construction of affordable housing by the authority.

By Liam Randall – BBC Local Democracy Reporter