The development of some of the land on the Trust's Erddig estate has caused some public outcry.
Here we have addressed some of the key concerns that have arisen as well as covering the reasoning behind the decision made to propose the area for development.
Why do we need to develop this land?
In order to maintain Erddig, we need to raise an extra £10 million.
- Erddig is very popular with visitors but needs an extra £300,000 each year to clear a backlog of work over and above routine maintenance.
- In 2003 alone, we needed £200,000 to repair and decorate the house windows.
- When the Trust took on Erddig there was no endowment to provide for its long-term care.
- Through good sales of land and coal board compensation we have managed to build an endowment of £4-5m.
We can't raise the money elsewhere for Erddig because we care for over 300 properties and 250,000 ha of land. Our outstanding conservation repair bill is over £1 billion. To ensure that we can fulfil our aim of 'for ever, for everyone', we need properties to be able to self-finance as far as possible.
Importantly, the donor said the land in question (1.6 percent of the estate) could be sold to raise money to preserve the wider estate.
Wrexham Council identified a need for 5,600 new homes in the county between 1996 and 2011 through their Unitary Development Plan, and in 2007 Wrexham Council suggested that the need had increased to 6,300 homes between 2006 and 2021. This is one of the sites the council identified, as it is 'in a sustainable location, close to Wrexham, and will help meet the housing land requirement'.
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Is this respecting the donor family’s wishes?
When Phillip Yorke gave Erddig to the National Trust in 1973, he requested that 624 acres of the estate were set aside as preservation land. We have exceeded his request and declared 1,070 acres inalienable. This was only possible due to successful land sales in the past. A successful land sale now will ensure we can declare further land inalienable.
In the legal Deed of Gift Phillip Yorke made it clear that the area of land we are talking about could be sold to raise vital funds to preserve the wider estate. Before he had given Erddig to the Trust he told the Wrexham Leader (16th January 1970).
'Any extra money which they (The Trust) require they can obtain by exploiting the property out of sight of the house'.
How will it impact on the current estate?
The site is not part of the historic parkland that most people associate with Erddig. It is separated from the main estate by the Shrewsbury-Wrexham railway line and has no direct access to the estate. The development is over half a mile from the house. It would not be visible from the house as trees and woodland screen any possible views. The site was not part of the original estate. It was added in Victorian times when the family acquired Manor Farm.
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Won’t this put extra pressure on local services?
Unlike previous housing developments in the village, we propose to reinforce local services. We have agreed to make a contribution to Rhostyllen County primary school to accommodate any increase in pupil numbers. A 3,000 sq.ft shop (about the size of a tennis court) will form part of the development, adding to the shopping provision in the village. There will also be a new village hall, complementing the existing one.
Will it feature affordable housing?
The development will consist of both affordable and private housing. This is widely accepted as the best way to build a sustainable and cohesive community. The development is not designed as a commuter estate. The homes range in size from apartments to 4-bed houses and include 2 and 3 bedroomed terraces and semis. They will be suitable for a wide range of household types, such as single people, families and couples.
25 per cent of the 223 homes will be affordable and available only to local people. Of the 55 affordable homes, 18 will be available to rent at the affordable weekly rate you would pay in Wrexham (£66 for a three bedroom home). The Remaining 37 homes will be available on a shared ownership basis or at a discounted rate. Prices will be set below the market average. The local housing association, Tai Clwyd, will manage the allocation of the affordable homes.
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Is this development sustainable?
The land is in a sustainable location, well related to the village and its services, and the development will reinforce the services in the village. It has an exceptionally good bus service into Wrexham and the development will contribute to upgrading the pedestrian and cycle route to the nearby secondary school. To link the new development to the existing village there will be pedestrian crossings installed where safety is the highest priority.
Is there any provision for green space in the development?
The development will unlock access to even more green space for the community. A new pedestrian and cyclist route alongside the river and beneath the railway line will open up an area of woodland which was previously inaccessible and give access to the whole estate. On top of this, there will be 5 public open spaces with hundreds of newly planted trees. This will equal 20 per cent of the area of the site.
If the development goes ahead there are plans to improve and manage the currently neglected pocket park. Plus there will be a safe children’s garden and equipped play area. Safe cycle routes will lead to these areas. All the houses will have private gardens and there will be communal gardens for the flats.
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Is the Trust becoming a property developer?
We will only develop land where there is a need for the endowment to be improved and where the land was earmarked for this purpose. The sale of land has enabled the long term care of the properties and parkland at these sites, and we impose strict criteria on ourselves when we develop land:
- Any development must be compatible with the Trust’s statutory conservation purpose and with safeguarding, or even enhancing, wider conservation interests.
- The development must contribute to the Trust’s strategic objective of minimising our environmental footprint, and be adapted to the anticipated climatic conditions during its life.
- Where the land has been received as a gift, the development should be compatible with the donor’s wishes for the use of the property.
- Where generation of funds is the principal objective for development this must be linked to a demonstrable benefit to the nation in accordance with the Trust’s purposes.
- The development proposed must be compatible with the statutory development plan policies for the area.
- The Trust should ask: ‘would we be content if a third party was proposing to develop this site in this way if they owned it?’ before moving forward.
Of the 252,000 hectares of land cared for by the National Trust less than 0.01 per cent has the potential for development, one third of which is the proposed development at Erddig. There are no immediate plans to sell any further land.
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Isn’t this rather hypocritical in light of the debate on Green Spaces?
No. The Chairman was stimulating a debate about the importance of green spaces, asking people to think about how they should be used, including what sort of development is appropriate and inappropriate. The Trust considers that its proposals for Erddig are an example of appropriate development.
The site is grazing land which the public access by an existing footpath. One fifth of the area will be turned into green spaces designed and managed for public access and wildlife, including a woodland belt and grassland leading down to the Glan-yr-afon Brook. We also propose the refurbishment of the neighbouring pocket park, created by Wrexham Council and Groundwork, which has been sadly neglected and vandalised. This will be brought into better management and linked to the village by open spaces on the site and a new bridge over the Glannyrafon Brook.
In addition, there will be an improved footpath to Erddig from Rhostyllen – accessible to all, unlike the existing path – and a cycleway link improving the community’s access to the open spaces at Erddig.
Caring for green space costs money – which is one of the reasons why this development is needed. The development, as well as generating essential funding for the conservation of inalienable property at Erddig, will provide much needed roofs over people's heads in a way that demonstrates exemplary conservation and environmental design principles.
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