New Strategy Proposed To Bring “More Co-Ordinated Approach” To Services In Wrexham Town Centre

Plans to set up a new strategy to focus services working to improve Wrexham Town Centre will be discussed by members at Scrutiny Committee next week. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Members will examine recommendations by a Task and Finish Group that Wrexham County Borough Council (WCBC) create and implement a new Town Centre Strategy, which will help to co-ordinate the work of services covering a wide range of important areas in the town centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The findings of the Task and Finish Group will be discussed at a meeting of the Employment, Business, Investment and Scrutiny Committee on Wednesday, February 1. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Wrexham Town Centre Management Task and Finish Group was set up in 2014, after the scrutiny committee reviewed the cost and co-ordination of a number of different services provided in the town centre. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The group concluded that the council needed to be clear on its vision for the town centre, and set out its priorities for making it a viable, safe, accessible and prosperous place for people to live, work and visit. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The proposed Town Centre Strategy would outline those priorities, and bring together a number of different plans for a variety of service areas to help improve the town centre further. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Examples of services working in the town centre include the enforcement, highway maintenance and Streetscene work carried out by the council’s Environment Department; licensing and Nightsafe work undertaken by Public Protection, and the wider economic strategies focused on town centre business handled by Assets and Economic Development. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The report compiled by the Task and Finish Group also notes a number of ongoing regeneration schemes in the town centre– including the reduction of anti-social behaviour at Wrexham Bus Station; improvements to town centre public toilets and increasing raft of public events. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As well as recommending the creation of a new Town Centre Strategy, the report also recommends that a new group of members and officers be set up from departments responsible for implementing the new strategy and to monitor its success. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The meeting of the Scrutiny Committee will also discuss a new Tackling Poverty Strategy, which outlines work undertaken by Wrexham Council as part of the Wrexham Public Services Board (PSB) to deal with poverty alongside partners in health and law enforcement. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Bill Baldwin, Chair of the Committee, said: “The issues of regeneration, vacancy rates, small businesses, anti-social behaviour and others have all been discussed in the context of Wrexham Town Centre, and the Task and Finish Group has undertaken exhaustive work in order to put together a comprehensive report. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I look forward to chairing the discussion of this report and its findings – I imagine it will generate a very interesting discussion.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​