Plans to build 20 apartments on Mold business park approved despite concerns over loss of employment land

Plans to build 20 new apartments on a business park in Mold have been given the go ahead, despite concerns about the loss of employment land.

Proposals to create two apartment blocks on an area at the back of Broncoed Business Park were put forward by FG Whitley & Sons Ltd in September last year.

The site is currently allocated for business use, but the company said it had been marketed for commercial development for more than a decade without attracting a buyer.

The application to create residential accomodation was backed by all but one member of Flintshire Council’s planning committee at a meeting earlier this week.

However, Cilcain councillor Owen Thomas said he could not support the loss of employment land, following several similar schemes being granted in recent years.

He said: “It really concerns me that we’re taking away employment land and putting flats up.

“I think Mold has seen quite a number of flats recently going up and I’m sure there’s a few hundred still in the pipeline to be built, but there’s not jobs.

“The report says there’s no commercial need for it and I don’t understand that for the simple reason that I do use a lot of the retail facilities in Broncoed and I see every one occupied.

“Just next door to this at Maes Gwyn we’ve taken all that employment land away – we’ll need that land some day for employment.”

Ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, the local authority’s chief planning officer recommended the proposals for approval, subject to a payment of more than £60,000 being given to fund education at Bryn Coch Community Primary School.

In his report, he said a commercial viability assessment had been put forward by the company behind the application.

He added it had been closely scrutinised and an independent review showed it was an accurate reflection of market conditions.

The scheme was supported by the majority of councillors subject to a condition being added for a hedge to be planted to protect the privacy of people living at a nearby house.

Cllr Chris Bithell, the council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “This site was allocated for employment purposes as part of the Broncoed Business Park, however the need for such land set aside has not materialised in this particular case.

“We’ve had to reallocate land elsewhere in the town, for example in Maes Gwern, for residential purposes as opposed to industrial purposes.

“There’s more than enough land in the town to accommodate the needs envisioned for future business development.”

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).