Old School Site – Update 22nd October 2024

Update received from Paul Calland, FCC Strategic Housing & Delivery Programme Manager

I am happy to meet with your representatives as suggested in your email but would ask that this be delayed for a short while until I actually have something to show them please?

I did meet with the two councillors and they passed on a host of background information which will help form the brief. I can absolutely tell you that no layout or changes to the site plans have been made as yet from when we last discussed the project. I remain committed to looking at an east><west split of the site as well as the north><south split already shared.

I am in the throes of appointing architects to develop out the options for the site. This has taken longer than anticipated. The council has been working with an all Wales group on net zero carbon development. It consists of the 11 local authorities which still have housing stock together with 15 RSL’s. The aim of the group is to produce a standard set of property types and specifications to meet the new standards set by Welsh Government for social housing. Procurement of architects to undertake this work was challenging, but eventually the group were able to appoint a firm. That project is due to complete in December 2024.

We believed that appointing the sam architects to undertake the Penyffordd school project (and another planned development in Mold) would be appropriate (an inside track as it were on the work they had already done). We are just tidying up the contact arrangement for this appointment and the work will start shortly.

As soon as we have the first iterations we remain committed to sharing with you and continuing to work with you on the development itself and the split of the land etc. It is of course for the community to decide what you will do with this community land but we hope that the design will complement whatever community development takes place. The architects are aware of this and are very excited by the prospect of maximising the impact positively of our housing development.

I will update you further and suggest dates for a meeting with your representative once I have the architects on board,

Kindest regards

Paul