Placemaking Plan

WHAT IS THE PLACEMAKING PLAN?

The Placemaking Plan is about improving the centre of Wrexham and encouraging people to re-imagine and influence how it should look, feel, and function. Specifically, we want placemaking to promote better design and development, and help establish more appealing social, cultural, economic uses and activities.

The final version of the Plan will include a comprehensive delivery plan reflecting wider consultation and involvement. It will include agreed priorities for both the Council and its partners, identifying the level and sources of funding and governance structures that will steer the Plan’s delivery.

In June 2022 Wrexham County Borough Council became a signatory of the Placemaking Charter in Wales. We apply the principles of the Charter to the whole County Borough, and they provide a framework for delivering our ambitions of becoming the UK City of Culture and other plans such as the Destination Management Plan, the World Heritage Site Masterplan; the Council Housing Strategy; the Active Travel Plan, and the emerging Digital Plan.

WHY ARE WE DOING THIS?

Wrexham is a place with a unique and proud identity. Currently, it is one of the most talked about places in the UK and has a growing international profile. Our growth and ambition have been raised significantly through the award of City Status for the whole County Borough, advancing to the final stage of the 2025 City of Culture, and there’s also the global spotlight on Wrexham following the Hollywood takeover and recent successes of Wrexham FC. This has resulted in increased opportunities and interest for investment in Wrexham and has boosted local pride in the centre of the city that serves the whole community.

Firstly, we want to know how much you agree or disagree with what’s in the Plan as it stands, and then we want to get your wider views to make the Plan as representative as possible.

WHAT AREA DOES THE CENTRE OF WREXHAM COVER?

This is the central area of Wrexham covered by the Placemaking Plan.

WHAT CHALLENGES DO WE NEED TO ADDRESS?

Just as the wider economy of Wrexham has been transformed over the past twenty years, Wrexham’s centre needs to go through its own period of transformation. Work is already under way, in response to changing trends in shopping and living, and to grow its cultural, commercial and community assets. However, there are significant challenges facing the centre that the proposed strategies and projects set out in the Plan will seek to directly address.

• Local people’s preference to visit and spend more of their money in out of town retail parks and neighbouring towns than in the centre of Wrexham
• Need for a range of new and appealing activities and facilities to attract more families, students and households living in outlying countryside communities
• Negative external perceptions and concerns about anti-social behaviour
• Vacant property remain a challenge and there’s a lack of owner/investor confidence in the centre
• The leisure and cultural offer is relatively small and undeveloped, and there’s a need for a stronger family entertainment and evening economy
• Reduced demand for office space and declining employment base
• The scale and type of residential development in the centre hasn’t realised the desired regeneration benefits
• Navigation and wayfinding across the centre are poor with pedestrian and cycling routes obstructed, counter-intuitive and unattractive
• The value and potential of historic buildings and environment has not been fully realised or celebrated.

The survey was completed by 229 individuals and 584 comments were received as part of the public engagement exercise, that has enabled us to revise the Placemaking Plan in line with the feedback we received as well as shaping how we will communicate going forward.

We found that comments were very supportive of revitalising Wrexham and the need to create a destination city centre with cultural, heritage and family experiences.

Green Infrastructure and public realm proposals were well received as was the creation of welcoming spaces and positive links between green spaces adjacent to the City Centre.  Parking was referenced regularly in the responses and there is a feeling that there is a lack of parking spaces for shoppers, particularly spaces for parents and babies / young children and people with disabilities. The range of different parking offers and their management regimes was found to be a frustration. Public transport linking the City Centre and wider County Borough was considered poor.  Eagles Meadow was also mentioned on a number of occasions and comments indicated support for a focus on family entertainment and good quality restaurants

160 of the 584 comments received have resulted in material changes/additions to the final place making plan. All comments and demographic data from your voice were published for consideration by scrutiny committee and executive board.

A number of comments received also highlighted the ease of use to feedback on the Your Voice platform regarding the Place making plan