Residents petition for increased parking in Gronant after plans for new apartments submitted

Flintshire Council has received a petition for more accessible parking to be provided in Gronant after plans were submitted to build apartments and townhouses on the site of the former village hall.

Earlier this month the council’s planning department received a proposal for the Gronant Institute site on Llanasa Road to be turned into apartments / town houses.

The institute was a gift to the village by Richard Hughes, a native of Gronant who became a shipbuilder in Liverpool.

It is now closed to the public with plans drawn up to develop the site with 11 dwellings formed by conversion and extension of the building, as well as three new build dwellings on the current car park.

A total of 17 car parking spaces are proposed for the future occupants, and the Cenotaph memorial will remain.

But this loss of car parking space for current residents is having a huge impact in the village, leading to the petition being jointly presented at a full meeting by Llanasa and Trelawnyd councillors Glyn Banks (Ind) and Gina Maddison (Lab).

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Maddison said: “The sale of the Gronant Institute is a fait accompli which is accepted by the residents of Gronant.

“They accept this as they have also lost their church and the Gronant youth and community centre.

“The issue is to do with access, parking and highways. The Gronant Institute is approached by two very narrow roads, Maes Y Dre and Nant Y Crai.

“There are no footpaths, there is very little or no parking, and insufficient street lighting.”

“Residents have traditionally parked on the Gronant Institute car park due to a verbal agreement which ended with the sale of the Institute.”

Cllr Maddison added: “A few weeks ago they woke up to find notices on their cars saying that their cars must be moved by the end of the day or those cars would be clamped.

“The result is that these cars have now spilled onto streets with inadequate parking and no footpaths. Llanasa Road and Gronant Hill which approach the Institute also have no footpaths.

“The number of planned flats and houses will generate a great many extra cars on narrow roads with no footpaths within the village of Gronant.

“The residents ask only that the application is looked at and modified in terms of the sheer number of dwellings which are planned for this site and also in terms of providing some accessible parking for those residents who have lost the parking which they have always used.”

Flintshire Council officers will respond to the petition within six weeks.

At the end of the year, petitions and their responses are brought back to full council.

The council’s planning committee will make a decision on the plans for the former Gronant Institute at a future date.

By Rory Sheehan – Local Democracy Reporter