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Crunch meeting over Welsh Dragon Tower plan
Tuesday 4th January 2011, 2:04PM GMT.
An artist's impression of how the Dragon Tower will look
The 45-metre high Dragon Tower planned for the Shropshire border could be given the go-ahead tonight.
Billed as the region’s answer to the Angel of the North, the tower, alongside the Chirk bypass, could attract more than 200,000 visitors a year.
Wrexham County Borough Council’s planning committee will meet tonight to decide whether the scheme should win planning permission.
Council officers, in a 22-page report, are recommending that permission be granted for the tower close to the Halton roundabout.
The Dragon Tower is the brainchild of Simon Wingett, from Erbistock on the north Shropshire border, who says the scheme will attract tourists, help the local economy and raise funds for the Frank Wingett cancer trust, set up in memory of his father. Chief planning officer for Wrexham, Lawrence Isted says planning permission should be granted, subject to conditions.
He said the area has several nearby monuments including Chirk Castle, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, and the Wynnstay Column.
The report to councillors says: “It could be argued that the Welsh Dragon will signify the next phase in the landscape development and for this reason the principle of a monumental structure may be justifiable.
“Visitor numbers have been estimated at 200,000 in the first year and 230,000 in subsequent years.”
Mr Isted said: “There is opportunity to create an attractive visitor experience and positive after-use to this former colliery site and the tower is an attractive modern architectural statement.”
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Who’s paying? TYhe rate payer, these people find it very easy to spend our money.
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In this time of cuts and VAT increases who will be funding this construction? Will it come direct from our council tax or will the council be using a small portion of the massive slush fund that it invests at our expense in foreign (non-Iclandic) banks?
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You couldnt make this up.
Shut the libraries, leisure centres, youth clubs due to lack of money.
Plenty for this monstrosity.
Can anyone else tell that the Welsh are spending English money?
And as for visitor numbers, what a complete joke.
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