Youth centre withdrawn from list of possible housing sites

llanblogger exclusive

* County Cllrs Graham Timms (left) and Mel Mile outside Llangollen Youth Centre.

* Ken Skates AM backed the campaign to have the youth centre withdrawn from the LDP list.

Assembly Member Ken Skates has welcomed Denbighshire Council’s decision to shelve plans which could have seen houses built on Llangollen’s youth club site.

The Clwyd South AM had backed the calls of local residents and the town’s county councillors and urged the authority to withdraw proposals which would have seen houses go up on land on Willow Street, including the football pitch next to the youth centre.

The site, covering one hectare) is current used for youth club and pitches and it had been suggested for residential development when it appeared in the list of candidate sites for Denbighshire's next Local Development Plan (LDP).

Mr Skates wrote to Denbighshire's chief executive Judith Greenhalgh last August to raise his concerns and to call for the site to be withdrawn from the list of 11 proposed plots for new houses. 

At the time he said he would help campaigners fight the plans ‘all the way’.

He said: “I’m pleased that the council has listened to people’s concerns and that this site is no longer earmarked for housing. 

"I know a lot of local people are already worried about the over-development of the area and worried about how it will cope with the 95 new homes currently being built just across the road from the youth club. I’m sure they will join me in welcoming this decision.”

Mr Skates also said he was concerned that Llangollen county councillors Graham Timms and Mel Mile were not consulted on the plans before they were published last year.

He added: “Graham and Mel have come in for some unfair criticism over this. They never agreed with this idea in the first place and both made it clear they would oppose this site being used for housing. They deserve a great deal of credit for this outcome.”

Cllr Graham Timms said: “After a long battle I am delighted that the youth club and football field has been saved for Llangollen’s young people. 

"The county council have at last seen sense and removed our important amenity from the plan.

"The initial announcement came right out of the blue. No one expected that the council was going to put this land forward for housing and we as county councillors had no advance warning of it.  

"I am grateful to the many local residents who supported the case that we have been making. The public consultation meeting held in Llangollen earlier this year was the best attended in the whole of Denbighshire and most people were objecting to the youth club proposal."

Cllr Mel Mile said: "The withdrawal of this proposal is very welcome, particularly as there will be even more demand for our green spaces as the new housing estate near Vicarage Road continues to grow. We have worked together with the community to make the case for our town and won.”