Council stymied over listing of school building days after High Court win

Wrexham County Borough Council has found itself unable to redevelop a school after one Welsh minister listed the building only days after another agreed to a High Court order quashing an earlier listing.

The dispute affects the Groves school, which was listed in August as Grade II after a campaign by pressure group Save Our Heritage.

Wrexham though wanted to demolish it to build primary schools on the site, arguing that this was essential for demographic reasons.

It then won a High Court case to rescind the listing, which economy minister Ken Skates agreed to on 21 November.

On 29 November however Mark Drakeford, cabinet secretary for finance and local government, re-imposed the listing.

A Welsh Government statement said: “His decision is to list the building, with its historical dimension, on the ground of its special architectural interest due to its aesthetic visual quality, craftsmanship and decorative detail.”

Wrexham leader Mark Pritchard said: “We are very disappointed with this decision and will take legal advice on the way forward. 

“I can assure everyone that the council remains committed to providing 21st century education in Wrexham on this site and this decision will not detract from our commitment. “

The council has argued that the Groves should be demolished to make way for one or two primary schools.

It cited the cost of maintaining the building, which it put at a minimum of £14,500 a year, and said the empty school attracted anti-social behaviour. Officers were called out on “at least five visits a day to the site and significant quantities of rubbish and drug paraphernalia have to be removed from the site”, it claimed.

The Groves could not easily be converted to modern standards as a functioning school, the council added.

Mark Smulian