Our community is being swept from under our feet.

Our opinions and voices are ignored – we are treated with contempt.

There is a plan to merge Wrexham, Denbighshire and Flintshire with the North West of England.

It is called the WEST CHESHIRE / NORTH EAST WALES SUB REGION PLAN.

Thousands of houses have sprung up across the county over recent years. NOT ONE of the many estates was built for local people.

The sub region plan

Its aim is to define a clear identity for the counties of Wrecsam, Flintshire, Denbighshire (and Conwy to a certain extent) with the North West English areas of west Cheshire and Merseyside. The plan will see a combined strategy as regards housing, development, waste, transport and employment across the sub region; it will (and has) done so by guiding planning at UDP/LDP level.the Wales spatial plan and North West spatial plan have both been designed based on this. This sub regional plan came about after something called the Mersey Belt Study (2002); its aim was to address land supply issues for the North West of England and made recommendations about forming a sub region between West Cheshire and North East Wales to address some of the problems. As well as more development for Wrecsam, Flintshire and Denbighshire, they intend to open up access to the North Wales coast in order to increase development ‘westwards’. These plans have no regard to welsh identity or language and will see one of the biggest influxes of commuters into North Wales that we have ever seen; these plans intend to move people from the North West of England to North Wales and will totally transform the human geography of the area and its social and political structure. It is a massive threat to welsh identity and language. The most shocking part is that from what I can gather, the plans have already been passed. They have been made in conjunction with, and approved by the Welsh Assembly and our local councils. We see this as the biggest scandal in Wales for generations; we are talking about 3 counties earmarked already and under construction as a new English county (as they describe it, a sub region with its own clear identity). Of further concern is that similar cross border initiatives are in their early stages in both Mid and South Wales, although neither are as advanced as the sub region plan.

This also goes a long way to explain the attitude of the local press in the North East over recent years. There has been constant propaganda about our links with the North West of England and especially the Wrecsam Chester connection that they constantly push at us. In fact, even going so far as to pro actively tell the people of North East Wales that we have got more in common with the North West of England than the rest of Wales, disguising the extent of the full plans with phrases like ‘cross border links’. Of course we understand the inevitability of cross border links and the cross border links that have always existed, but these plans are not just links they are another example of Wales bearing the brunt of English needs. It also explains the relentless city status bid for Wrecsam, they intend to make Wrecsam a strategic centre for the region and it will be key to the process. We know it’s been happening but here are the blue prints, the scale of this is immense.

It is also of great concern to us how a non statutory proposition lead by business people from outside the country can affect the social and political climate in Wales totally unchecked, without the due scrutiny of the Welsh Assembly and the population of the country. We are amazed that to date, (the plan is well advanced) that there has been no consultation what so ever, even within the Assembly let alone the population of North East Wales. These plans bring up serious issues of trust between the Welsh Assembly and the people of Wales

Below are some links with the relevant information regarding these plans, we ask that you scrutinise them yourself and would very much welcome your views on this sub regional strategy.

http://www.nwra.gov.uk/downloads/documents/imported/rp_jl7Z_Exec_Summary_-_W_Cheshire__NE_.pdf

http://www.wda.co.uk/resources/Appendix3.doc

http://www.ymchwiliadecolicymru.org.uk/dpsp/40382121/1909654/403821/549479/814249/WSP(NE-O)06-08_Bringing_the1.doc?lang=en

http://www.letstravelwise.org/uploads/documents/jan_08/trav_1199801209_(01)_MDA_Transport_Grp_29-11-0.pdf

http://www.merseyside.org.uk/dbimgs/LCRHS%202nd%20Draft%200702.pdf

For a list of responses from various organisation to the welsh Assembly about these plans please visit :

http://www.walesresilience.org/about/strategy/spatial/northeastwales/SRSS/consultation/?lang=en

Pay special attention to the comments from the RSPB and the ‘Enviro watch Wales and borders’.

http://www.nwra.gov.uk/downloads/documents/imported/rp_XJlJ_Appendix_C_-_SA_Framework_Matr.doc

http://www.flintshire.gov.uk/webcont/newrealweb.nsf/vwa_files/CD88.pdf/$file/CD88.pdf

If you would like to become involved with our work or would like to support us, you can get in touch with our head office on 01758-612712, or email cymuned[at]cymuned.org.

Aternatively, if you live in the Wrecsam area, you can contact our local representative on 07745-701860, or email carrie[at]killingWrexham.com.