Housing association ClwydAlyn is looking to build nearly 180 homes on a former industrial site.
The St Asaph based organisation has appointed a design team to take forward proposals for the development of a housing scheme to transform the former Air Products site in Acrefair, Wrexham.
The factory closed in 2009 with around 200 people losing their jobs.
Collaborative working between ClwydAlyn Housing, Wrexham County Borough Council and Welsh Government helped to secure the purchase of the 17.5 acre site for development earlier this year.
Now a design team has been appointed to begin undertaking enabling works to inform the housing layout and design which will begin on site late autumn.
The design team includes environmental and engineering consultanrts Caulmert, architects Munro Associates, Planning Consultant PL Lloyd and cost consultants AA Projects.
They will work with ClwydAlyn to develop plans for a circa 176 new homes and carry out enabling works, with the aim of submitting a full planning application for spring next year.
Craig Sparrow, executive director of development at ClwydAlyn, said: “We’re delighted to be taking forward plans to transform this site into a vibrant new development of much needed affordable homes for Wrexham.
“These plans will play an important part in supporting the wider regeneration of the town, providing high quality homes for local people. It is part of a much wider development programme that ClwydAlyn is leading over the next five years to address the need for new affordable homes across North Wales.”
Trina Nicholls-Smith, clerk of Cefn Community Council, said: “We have met with officers from Clwyd Alyn on site and are looking forward to seeing the proposals for its development. There is a lot of interest in this historic site locally and a significant demand for housing amongst local people in the Cefn Mawr community."
Philip Oliver, architect and director at Munro Associates: “We are very pleased to be part of ClwydAlyn’s team to design the affordable residential scheme at this important site in Acrefair.
"The redevelopment of such a large brownfield site will make a positive contribution to the existing community and provide the opportunity to create a place of character and distinctiveness that reflects the location and history of the site.
“The affordable homes will be designed to a very high specification, and will deliver exceptional thermal and environmental performance, providing residents with efficient, sustainable and desirable homes."
Engineering consultant, Caulmert added: “This project will be very challenging and exciting to design. We look forward to assisting to deliver a high quality development on a site which has had extensive mining and industrial use in the past."
This scheme is part of ClwydAlyn's development programme to deliver further 1500 new homes in North Wales by 2025 at an investment of £250m bringing the total number of homes in management to over 7,500.
