Rhostyllen.com

Residents and campaigners have reacted furiously to comments by Mr Bob Dewey, of Wrexham council’s planning department, in the planning meeting to consider the National Trust’s application to build 223 houses on Erddig estate ground in Rhostyllen. Mr Dewey said that the council’s guideline that no development should adversely affect Welsh identity or language was ‘not applicable in this case because Rhostyllen doesn’t have a sense of Welsh identity’.

Spectators from Rhostyllen at the meeting let out a collective gasp of disbelief, and shouts of ‘out of order’ followed the comments.

The issue of identity was not commented on further by any other member of the committee, despite Wrexham council having a clear guideline in place that states ‘no new development should have an adverse affect on Welsh identity and or language.’

Carrie Harper of Cymuned said “I am absolutely astounded by Mr Dewey’s comments. He is part of the planning committee and responsible for making decisions on behalf of the people of Wrecsam. If a ward that has over 80% of its population born in Wales has no Welsh identity, I dread to think what lies in store for the rest of Wrexham. The point we wanted to make was that the commuter development would increase Rhostyllen’s population by almost 40%, the majority of people being from outside the locality.

There is no possible doubt that this will have an adverse effect on the Welsh identity and character of the area. This clearly contravenes Welsh Assembly and local council policies, yet the council seem intent on refusing to implement their own guideline.”

Tara Green of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee said “To say Rhostyllen isn’t Welsh is an absolute insult to residents, it’s unforgivable. In addition, the planning committee brushed aside the issue of local opposition despite an official referendum with results of 2:1 against. The decision has now been deferred but serious questions have to be asked about why our council is ignoring official planning guidelines. We have identified at least seven other guidelines which this proposed development breaches.

I’m personally very concerned about this whole process, especially the fact that they are ignoring local opinion.”

Campaigners have called for a public statement from Wrexham council to clarify whether or not they recognise their own guideline of doing no damage to Welsh identity or language, and whether or not they consider Rhostyllen to have a Welsh identity.

Election proceedings were marred when the local council used taxpayers money to send council workers to remove posters publicising the referendum, in what has been described as ‘an obscene abuse of power’. However, local campaigners are delighted with their significant victory.

Rhostyllen.com campaigner Tara Green said ‘We are extremely happy with the results of the vote. The National Trust can no longer falsely claim that the majority of local people are in favour of the development. People have finally had their say and it is a resounding NO. The vote also applied to any other development in our community that is not based on local need. Local people do not want this development, so it is time for the Trust to scrap their plans and abide by the democratic process.’

The Rhostyllen Residents Committee have challenged the community council to step down in light of the no confidence vote against them. A spokesperson said ‘A clear majority have voted no confidence in this council, and it is therefore only right that they now accept this decision and resign.’

Carrie Harper from campaign group Cymuned said ‘Local people have made it clear that they are against the National Trust’s ‘new village’ development. The planning committee should now take this into account when deciding on the planning application and refuse it. Iwan Huws, Director of Wales for the National Trust, has stated publicly that the development would be decided by the democratic process. The only acceptable option now is for them to pull out. The campaign will continue and their own members will vote out those responsible for the decision at the Trust’s AGM later this year. Hundreds have already spoken to us and stated their willingness to do so.’

Campaigners in Rhostyllen have been appalled to see council vans following local residents putting up posters to publicise the referendum on the National Trust’s plans to build 223 houses in Rhostyllen. The referendum is being held from 4.00pm until 9.00pm this evening, and council workers have been removing every poster that concerned local residents have put up.

Under the 1972 Local Government Act, Wrexham council is not obliged to publicise the referendum in Rhostyllen at all, and the Act states clearly that the responsibility for drawing attention to the referendum lies with the people who requested it.

Due to complaints believed to have come from Rhostyllen councillor Mark Pritchard, currently campaigning in favour of the development despite have spoken against it regularly, council workers have been attempting to remove all posters promoting the election.

Campaigners want to know how much it is costing the tax-payers of Rhostyllen to have council workers attempting to make sure that the residents do not know about the referendum.

‘This is an obscene abuse of power,’ says Carrie Harper, local representative for the communities group Cymuned. ‘The council is spending our money to stop people in Rhostyllen from hearing that they have a chance to voice their feelings about the proposed over-development. It is bad enough when councils drag their feet on their obligations to consult the public - but to have the council actively trying to hush up this vital example of community democracy is an appalling example of their sneering disrespect for ordinary people.’

Cymuned’s policies are about strengthening local communities, and we have worked in close partnership with the Commission for Racial Equality and with local lobbying groups in England. In fact, Wrexham County Council, which is committed to maintaining Welsh heritage and identity in the planning process, has stronger policies about Welsh identity than does Cymuned.

The Eclusham Community Council has behaved in a thoroughly undemocratic way from the very beginning of this public discussion. They have barred residents of Rhostyllen from meeting in the community centre, they have barred residents of Rhostyllen from attending meetings with the Trust, and in a latest example of hostility to free speech, 17 posters calling on the people of Rhostyllen to Vote No on Tuesday have been taken down under cover of darkness.

Rhostyllen residents will finally get the chance to have their say about controversial plans by the National trust to build 223 houses opposite their village. Residents have consistently been denied a public meeting about the plans, and have accused the community council in Rhostyllen of not representing their community and excluding residents from meetings with the National Trust.

In a dramatic twist, Rhostyllen.com campaigners say they have overcome the obstacles put in place by the National Trust and Esclusham community council to finally ensure that local people have their say about the future of their village.

Campaigners have been fighting for the last year to try and get a public meeting about the development. On 4 separate occasions the community council have refused the requests, blocking any sort of open discussion about the National Trust’s plans. But residents will now have a vote as to whether or not they are in favour of the ‘new village’ development; the vote will also apply to any other development within the community of Esclusham that is not based on local need. Additionally, residents have proposed a vote of no confidence in Esclusham community council.

Tara Green of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee said “It’s time to let the people decide - that is what this whole campaign has been about.”

The law allows local electors to convene their own parish meeting and to propose a referendum on an issue or issues relevant to their area. This is exactly what residents in Rhostyllen have done. They have delivered their official request to the county council, who now have between 14 to 25 days to comply under the local government act 1972, Schedule 12, Part III, Paragraph18(2).

Carrie Harper of the campaign group Cymuned said “We completely support the actions of the residents in Rhostyllen, and will help with this process in any way we can. It is only right that communities themselves decide what is right for their future instead of being dictated to by the council and developers. This will be an official vote, paid for and organised by the county council. Assembly guidelines (Planning Wales 2002) state that the planning committee should take on board the results of this vote when deciding on the application in question. Recently on the Dragon’s Eye programme, Iwan Hughes (Director of the National Trust in Wales) clearly stated that ‘This development will be decided by the democratic process’. We look forward to seeing if the National Trust will be true to their word.”

Campaigners say further details and a date for the referendum are expected soon. Due to the fact that the county council are not obliged to publicise the event, campaigners intend to inform the whole community of Esclusham as soon as a date is confirmed.

For more details, please contact Carrie Harper on 07745-701860, Aran Jones on 07887-573446 or Tara Green on 07852-108370.

Rhostyllen.com campaigners have today expressed grave concern at an attempt from the Rhostyllen Community Council and the Wrexham County Council planning department to breach the Freedom of Information Act. In a meeting with the National Trust the community council and the planners suggested that the minutes should not be disclosed to residents opposing the Trust’s plans to build 223 houses opposite the village of Rhostyllen.

Susan Griffiths, chair of the Rhostyllen Residents Committee, said “We tried to attend the meeting in question, only to be told to leave by the chairman of the community council, Mr John Droog. We had been informed by other residents of the village that the council were inviting people to come along and share their views - but they only wanted the attendance of those in favour of the development. Following the meeting, our secretary asked the local councillor, Mr Mark Pritchard, for a copy of the minutes. He informed her that there would be no problem at all with us seeing the documents. The community council, however, had other ideas.

They have refused point blank to let us see them. We have also been told by a member of the council that people from the planning department in Wrexham council, in attendance at the meeting, stated that we should not be allowed to see the minutes. We are now waiting for this matter to be processed properly under the 2000 Freedom of Information Act.”

Carrie Harper, from the campaign group Cymuned, said “The parish council in Rhostyllen are required to disclose information requested by members of the public under the Freedom of Information Act. It is very worrying indeed to learn that staff from the planning department of the county council also stated their reluctance to allow the public a copy of the minutes. It is bad enough that residents of Rhostyllen were excluded from this meeting, but for them now to be refused access to this information raises some extremely serious questions about democracy in Rhostyllen.”

“The clerk to the community council has emailed us an acknowledgement that the council hold the information we have requested, but in the same email he makes a factually incorrect statement about the Freedom of Information Act,” continues Carrie Harper. “Is this a deliberate attempt to mislead, or is he unaware of the details of the Act?”

Campaigners say they will submit a formal complaint to the Information Commissioner if the council refuses to release the minutes. This follows numerous situations in which the community council in Rhostyllen have been accused of misleading the local community and failing to consult them about the Trust’s plans.

Campaigners have stated on several occasions that they are shocked and disappointed with the behaviour of the council in relation to the planned development, and no longer feel they are fit representatives for the people of Rhostyllen.

The Trust is seeking planning permission to build 223 houses in order to be able to sell the land for a higher price to a private developer, and raise money towards an endowment fund for the Erddig estate. They claim that there was no original endowment fund - but they sold 63 acres of Erddig land for almost £1 million in the 70s.

They have not yet revealed where that significant fund disappeared to.

Tara Green, Rhostyllen Residents Committee secretary, says, ‘Rhostyllen is proud to be part of Wales, and it isn’t fair for us to have to accept large scale developments like this, which aren’t for local need at all, while places similar to Rhostyllen in England get defended. We don’t want to see our village turned into a playground for wealthy people who don’t even come from Rhostyllen.’