Plans for nine homes on former Buckley furniture store site refused for second time
A planning application to build nine houses on the site of a former furniture store on Chester Road in Buckley has been refused by Flintshire County Council, the second time a housing proposal for the same derelict site has been rejected.
The application sought permission to develop the former Three Piece Suite Centre site.
Flintshire County Council refused it on 10 March 2026.
The decision was taken by a delegated planning officer rather than going before a full planning committee.
Two reasons were given for the refusal.
The first concerns phosphates entering the River Dee and Bala Lake, both designated as Special Areas of Conservation, meaning they are protected under law because of their internationally significant wildlife.
Planners said there was not enough information to carry out a Habitats Regulations Assessment, a legal requirement to check whether a development could cause significant harm to a protected natural site.
Without that assessment, Flintshire County Council said it could not conclude the development would have no adverse effect on the River Dee and Bala Lake.
The second reason concerns the Deeside and Buckley Newt Sites, a separate Special Area of Conservation designated to protect great crested newts in the area.
Planners said the information provided was insufficient to assess the potential impact on that site and that the proposal would cause a significant adverse effect on its conservation objectives.
Both reasons were judged to conflict with Flintshire County Council’s planning policies on protecting wildlife and the natural environment.
The climate change and environmental impact policies of the council’s planning framework were also cited in the first refusal reason.
The site has been refused planning permission before.
A previous application for nine homes on the same site was turned down in 2022 on three grounds: the design of the proposed properties was
considered out of keeping with the Edwardian and Victorian character of Chester Road; insufficient information had been provided about phosphate levels; and concerns were raised about land stability.
The phosphate issue, which contributed to the 2022 refusal, has now been cited again as a reason for refusing the 2026 submission.
The application was submitted by Ainsley Gommon Architects on behalf of the applicant.
Forty-four consultees were notified as part of the process, including Buckley Town Council, Natural Resources Wales, Airbus Operations Ltd,
Welsh Water and the Mining Remediation Authority.
Five responses from neighbouring properties were also received.
Independent councillor Arnold Woolley, who represents Buckley Bistre East ward, submitted two consultation responses on the application.
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