Dispute over future housing numbers planned for Wrexham

It has been suggested the target of 8,000 new homes is not enough

Wrexham council's planning blueprint for the next 10 years could be scrapped in a dispute with the Welsh government over the provision of homes.

The two bodies are at loggerheads over how many new houses are needed in the area.

Council leaders want the local development plan to be withdrawn from an inquiry where it is being scrutinised by a planning inspector.

The request will be made when the inquiry resumes on Thursday.

The inspector Hywel Williams has raised concerns over the council's housing provision, saying its target of 8,000 new homes was not enough and should be closer to 11,700 properties.

Questions were also raised about the number of affordable homes being proposed and whether there was enough provision for travellers' sites in the county.

A council spokeswoman said members of the executive board had considered whether to ask the inspector to suspend the inquiry for up to six months, so that his concerns could be addressed, but they felt it was not a realistic timescale.

Instead, the council's head of development, Lawrence Isted, will ask for the plan to be withdrawn altogether, leaving the council to draw up fresh proposals which could take two years.

Councillors have criticised the Welsh government, claiming that it has had several opportunities in the past two years to raise any issues during the consultation process, but had left it to the last minute.

The Planning Inspectorate has been asked to comment.