An application to convert a property on the edge of the town centre into a house in multiple occupation (HMO) for seven people has been granted.
The plans for the property in the Derby Road area of Wrexham were put to planning committee members on Monday.
Whitegate councillor Brian Cameron urged members to either refuse the application or carry out a site visit due to see the existing safety and parking issues on the road.
Cllr Cameron said: “Derby Road is a very busy road and there are HGV wagons that go to and from units. Two to three years ago due to the weight of some of the vehicles the road gave way and work had to be done.
“My concern is 24 Derby Road isn’t far from the junction of Kingsmills Road and parking is already very difficult in that area.
“The report talks about parking on the site – my view of parking on the site is if they don’t reverse on, how are they going to get back onto the highway? There is no room to manoeuvre.
“It’s safety in my opinion. It is very close to a junction and there is a lot of parking on the opposite side of the road. There is very little room for parking and it is a very busy junction. It is one of the busiest roads you can have.
“The last thing I would want to see is an accident on that road.”
Cllr Adrienne Jeorrett, who represents the neighbouring Smithfield ward, said she could not support the application due to the existing traffic on the road and the speed heading towards the Kingsmills junction.
However chairman of the committee, Cllr Michael Morris, said the chances of a refusal from the committee being overturned at appeal stage are “great” as the plans meet the council’s standards.
Planning officer Matthew Phillips said that the application had been recommended for approval and that four parking spaces would be provided on the site.
It was also suggested by the council’s highways department that a condition to remove a section of the boundary wall to make manoeuvring in and out of the site easier was put in place.
A recommendation that the committee visited the site was rejected, with seven councillors to six voting in favour of the application subject to the above condition being put in place.
Source: Wrexham