Traffic concerns over plans to build new Wrexham homes

The site is close to junction four of the A483

The building of hundreds of houses near to a main route into a town would lead to major queues, a hearing was told.

Land near the A525 Ruthin Road has been included in Wrexham Council's Local Development Plan, which sets out where thousands of new homes could be built in the county by 2028.

The site is close to junction four of the A483 dual carriageway.

Resident John Rees told planning inspectors of traffic queuing on the road for long periods during rush hour.

The addition of more properties would only make the issue worse, Mr Rees said.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the large site at Lower Berse Farm was seen as key to the success of the council's development plan, and is being considering at the planning inspectors' hearing.

The Welsh Government is promising to deliver improvements to ease congestion along the affected routes.

John Rees said tailbacks during rush hour were already a problem

Mr Rees said: "The tailbacks in the evening travelling westbound go back past the traffic light junction at the school (Ysgol Clywedog) towards Morrison's supermarket and they extend backwards towards the Maelor Hospital.

"I don't understand how you can build hundreds of houses and it does not have a detrimental effect on an already poor junction."

During the hearing council planning officers became involved in a disagreement with representatives from developers Redrow.

They want to build 500 homes with only minor changes made to the surrounding road layout.

However, the authority said it should wait until the A483 improvements move forward, after which it would only be allowed to create a smaller amount of 200 properties.

The land has been earmarked for 1,500 new houses but fears were also raised about the potential for flooding on part of the site.

Ryan Knowles from Natural Resources Wales said: "A highly vulnerable development of this type should not be permitted in the zone."

Planning inspectors will create a final report later.