Wrexham Council's planning committee will tonight consider a controversial scheme to build 223 homes on National Trust land.

The proposals by the Trust for land next to Erddig Hall have been strongly opposed by campaigners who last month staged a protest at the Trust's annual meeting, in Liverpool.

The council's planning committee will tonight consider changes to the road layout, the main housing application and retail outlets on the development near Rhostyllen.

Outline planning permission for the scheme, over 21 acres, has already been granted.

Planning officers say they believe the 'scale of this development will not have an adverse impact' upon the village of Rhostyllen, while the designs of the new homes will reflect the type of existing buildings in the area.

Amended plans include minimising vehicles on the site, although councillors have been told promoting alternative transport will have to make up for a shortfall in parking.

There will be three separate crossings for pedestrians and cyclists. A series of conditions have been attached to the recommendation.
The plans also include a community hall, tea room, shops, parks and a playground.

A motion to halt the building of the 223 new homes was voted for by National Trust members 14,318 to 14,139 at the organisation's AGM, in Liverpool, at the beginning of November.

But the Trust's chairman used a discretionary block vote of 8,019 to push the proposals through.

A lobby was held outside the trust's annual general meeting.

Marc Jones, a local Plaid Cymru councillor who proposed the move, said the planned housing estate on green fields would increase the village's population by a third and that the scheme had been described as 'unsustainable' by local residents.

The National Trust, however, say the proposed development is needed to provide for the long term future of the hall at Erddig and its surrounding parkland.

Cllr Carrie Harper, a long-term campaigner against the proposals, said she would have to sit out this evening's meeting, despite being a member of the planning committee, after publicly opposing the scheme.

The Plaid member said she was "hopeful" that fellow elected representatives on the committee would deal with the application robustly.

She claimed the National Trust's plans breached Wrexham Council's planning guidance on "about 40" different points, one of the main being the fact the local authority's unitary development plan rules no more than 160 new properties can be built in Rhostyllen - and the Trust is seeking detailed permission for 223.

She said: "There's a definite conflict with the authority's own plan.

"I'll be sitting in the gallery and hoping for the best. There are so many guidelines involved that I'm not sure I'll get the chance to speak tonight."