Wrexham Council has been consulting the public on ambitious plans to reshape three key city centre sites. Henblas Street, the former Hippodrome site and Chester Street are all earmarked for new creative and family-friendly spaces.
More Vibrant Spaces for the City
The council wants to create welcoming, sociable spaces across the city centre. Also, officers say the ambition is to support play and creative projects in areas that have stood empty or underused for years. Indeed, officers have described the three locations as central to reshaping how people experience the city centre.
The former Hippodrome site has drawn particular public interest. Notably, it has stood vacant since the theatre and cinema closed in 1998. Wrexham AFC co-owner Rob Mac has proposed a memorial park there in honour of fellow owner Ryan Reynolds. Consequently, the council has since progressed the design phase with Mac’s production company, More Better.
Members of the public were invited to share ideas at drop-in sessions at Tŷ Pawb during May and June. Consequently, people could contribute for as little as five minutes or as long as they wished. Councillor Phil Wynn, the council’s lead member for play provision, said the authority was committed to ensuring children and young people had opportunities to play in the city. Additionally, the council worked directly with local groups and young people to help shape the emerging ideas.
A Wider Cultural Push
Early engagement on the Hippodrome site began even before the formal consultation. Project lead Bryan Swarberg met residents and businesses at Tŷ Pawb to gather initial reactions. He said the goal was to secure community influence on the space before detailed planning began.
The redevelopment plans have been explicitly linked to Wrecsam2029, Wrexham’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2029. Council officials say new play and creative spaces would strengthen that bid. Therefore, this would give it a lasting physical legacy. The proposals also follow years of piecemeal regeneration on Henblas Street, including recent heritage-led refurbishment of several historic shopfronts under the Wrexham Townscape Heritage Scheme.
Officers say it is vital that new play and creative spaces align with the wider ambitions of the City of Culture bid. Therefore, this would give Wrexham a lasting physical legacy regardless of the bid’s outcome. Meanwhile, consultation feedback gathered so far will feed directly into detailed design work.
Residents keen to follow progress can expect further engagement opportunities as each scheme develops. The council has stressed that community influence will remain central throughout. However, decisions will not be made behind closed doors, the council says. The city centre has seen pockets of piecemeal regeneration over many years. Together, these three sites represent one of the more ambitious pushes for change in some time.
We hope you enjoyed reading “New Plans Take Shape for Wrexham City Centre”. Click here for more articles about the City Centre.
