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Welsh Government's climate change minister has rejected plans to build homes on a former scrapyard.

An application to develop 15 properties on the former Legacy Car Dismantlers and Scrap Yard, near Rhosllanerchrugog, was supported by Wrexham Council’s planning committee in July 2020.

It was approved against the advice of officers and later called in by the Welsh Government.

Now Climate Change minister Julie James has refused planning permission on the advice of planning inspectorate.

In the report, the inspector said: "Whilst I have found that a number of site constraints could be satisfactorily mitigated through the imposition of suitably worded planning conditions, I have also found that the proposal represents an unsustainable form of development that would conflict with the sustainability and placemaking principles that underpin national and local policy.

"It has also not been satisfactorily demonstrated that a connection to the mains sewer would not be feasible or financially viable."

It had been proposed by the applicant that foul effluent would be drained to a wastewater treatment plant given difficulties connecting to the public sewer.

Natural Resources Wales raised significant concerns saying that a connection to the main sewerage system is "reasonable and necessary, particularly given the location of the site within the catchment of the River Dee and Bala Lake SAC".