In 2004, Wrexham Council considered selling part of Nine Acre Field for housing development. This idea was met with considerable resistance from local residents, and the Planning Officer at the time gave a number of reasons why the idea wasn't acceptable. The officers report (CPLO/50/04) can be read by clicking on this link.
The Executive Board at Wrexham Council declared the field to be "public open space". On the 6th July 2004 it resolved:
"That, having regard to the outcome of the public consultation exercise on the draft planning guidance, the Nine Acre Field be retained by the Council for use as public open space.
(ii) That the relevant officers prepare a report for submission to a future meeting of the Board, outlining possible options to make the site more accessible to the public and so increase its use as public open space."
But the Council did next to nothing to follow this up, failing to ensure that the public had access to the field.
Since 2017, Wrexham AFC has been using the field as a training ground. This has improved the condition of the turf dramatically. Whilst the clubs presence has meant that the public still couldn't access the field, they have been great tenants, causing no disruption to local residents, and helping to preserve the field as an asset, with great potential to benefit the community in the future.
Following a meeting held behind closed doors in February 2020, Wrexham Council announced plans to help relocate Wrexham AFC training facilities to the grounds of the former Grove Park School (on a 99 year lease), as confirmed recently by local media. Here's the original announcement made jointly by the football club and Wrexham CBC in December 2018. When this happens, we would like the field to revert back to being a public open space, something that the Council said was desirable 15 years ago.