PLANNING officers in Wrexham will recommend the approval of a retrospective application to turn a former police station into a community hub.
The old Gresford Police Station – which was decommissioned by North Wales Police in 2020 as a result of running costs totalling £12,000 per year – has been operating as a community hub since October last year, when it re-opened as ‘The Homestead’.
Owners Rachel Lloyd and Kim Jones originally purchased the police station pre-Covid with the aim of expanding their original business, Homestead Nursery.
But having secured permission for change of use to a nursery, the pair decided the building was better suited – and served the community better – as a hub, offering classes, social activities and rooms for private hire – even securing funding through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to complete renovations.
On Monday, Wrexham Council’s Planning Committee will decide whether to approve the change of use in line with officer recommendations.
According to the report of the Chief Officer for Economy and Planning, the site – which opens from 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 8am-2pm on Saturdays – is also operating a cafe with an outdoor garden and seating area but is causing no significant local disruption.
Following the application there were 21 message of support submitted by nearby neighbours.
“What an amazing addition to the village of Gresford,” said one submission. “Children having fun and new parents having somewhere to go and spend time together.”
Another said: “It is a great resource for children and parents that is of great value to the community,”.
The hub was also praised by one respondent for ‘actively encouraging those visiting with children to walk to the site’.
They added: “Upon all of my visits I have seen that there are plenty of parking spaces meaning people are actively choosing to reduce the traffic within the area.”
There were also 22 letters of objection.
One opponent wrote: “The noise levels from the children playing and from the adults talking whilst sitting having drinks etc. outside is unacceptable.”
Another said there are ‘enough food and drinking establishments in Gresford’.
There was also a concern that the hub is in a ‘wholly residential area and given the proposed opening hours it is likely that youths will be attracted to the area’.
Councillors will rule on the application on Monday, September 1.
