Wrexham Council and Coleg Cambria have agreed a way forward for the former Groves High School site near the city centre.
The college, which serves thousands of students from across the region, has expressed an interest in acquiring the site to expand its education provision in Wrexham.
The Groves High School closed its doors in 2006. The building was then used by council staff for a few years, but has remained empty since 2012.
The council-owned site can only be used for educational purposes due to legal covenants that date back several decades, and the building was listed by Welsh Government in 2016 to prevent it being demolished – effectively ending council aspirations to build a new modern school on the site.
In 2019, a healthcare company expressed an interest in developing a medical training facility at the Groves. There were detailed talks, but the proposals eventually fell through.
At the same time, Wrexham AFC explored options to develop training facilities on the former school playing fields, but the site wasn’t large enough.
In 2023, the Groves was shortlisted as a potential location for a new National Contemporary Art Gallery for Wales, but the project was later scrapped by Welsh Government due to lack of funding.
Discussions are now ongoing with Coleg Cambria, and a report will go to the council’s Executive Board this summer.
New lease of life
Councillor Mark Pritchard, Leader of Wrexham Council, said: “We’re working closely with Coleg Cambria to explore the detail, but we’re pleased that we finally have a solution for the Groves.
“It costs a lot of money to keep the empty building secure and weather-proof, to maintain the building and to repair damage to the roof, which is a constant issue. So transferring the site to the college makes a lot of financial sense – and it will also give it a new lease of life.
“We’ve worked tirelessly to try and find a new purpose for this site, and it hasn’t been easy – the covenant and listed status have made it really difficult – but we’ve kept going and we’re delighted to be working with Coleg Cambria.
“We’ll be taking a report to the Executive Board in June, and this is something that will have really exciting implications for college education in Wrexham.”
Yana Williams, Chief Executive at Coleg Cambria, said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to invest in the Groves site.
“The ability for us to enhance our vocational education offer with world class provision and state of the art facilities in Wrexham will further meet the education and training needs for learners and employers.”
