Judge tells Welsh council to adopt its local plan: report

Wrexham County Borough Council has been told by the High Court to adopt its local plan after a group of developers challenged the council’s unusual decision to refuse to do so, it has been reported.

According to The Leader, Mr Justice Eyre said after hearing a judicial review that the council must set a date for an extraordinary meeting to adopt the plan. Such a meeting is on the council calendar for 20 December. He also quashed the council’s earlier decisions to reject the plan.

Wrexham said it was not represented in court and “in light of the information received…we will be arranging an extraordinary council meeting to deal with the matter”.

The council decided not to adopt the plan despite its monitoring officer relaying "unequivocal" legal advice that said this decision was unlawful.

Wrexham rejected the plan in April 2023 two months after a planning inspector had found it sound.

Officers also recommended adoption, but the council rejected this due to concerns over infrastructure, housebuilding and a proposed Gypsy site.

The developers, led by SG Estates, said the decision was unlawful because the council should have adopted the local plan within eight weeks of the inspector's recommendations.

They also argued that the decision to reject the recommendation to adopt the plan was unlawful.

Wrexham rejected the plan again at a council meeting in June, despite monitoring officer Linda Roberts telling councillors a judicial review challenge would be “unwinnable”.

Mark Smulian