Ambitious expansion plans submitted for Christmas Farm near Flintsire border

A reindeer hospital and maternity bay are part of expansion plans proposed for the Christmas Farm in Cefn-y-Bedd.

The popular family attraction near Llay runs events through the year like pumpkin picking at Halloween as well as festive Christmas experiences including meeting reindeer, Christmas food and drink stalls and choosing your own real Christmas trees.

Now it has submitted ambitious expansion plans to Wrexham County Borough Council.

Owner Clint Shaw wants to create a dedicated sick bay and maternity area for its herd of 17 reindeer..

He is also looking to diversify, creating an outdoor recreation centre on site and more than doubling the size of the existing pond to create a huge lake for paddleboarding and water activities.

The existing pond island will be retained for wildlife and six more islands will be created using excavated material, also for wildlife.

The plans also include improving the entrance with a wider two-way entry point and parking for up to 100 vehicles.

The plans were originally submitted in 2023 but were recommended for refusal due to concerns over waste water, which would have been collected from mobile toilets and transported to a licensed treatment facility at Five Fords Waste.

Officers said they could not be assured that all waste water would be transported off site and treated.

The new plans include an on-site foul water treatment plant which would hold water while it is biologically treated and release it slowly into a designated drainage field.

By Alec Doyle – BBC Local Democracy Reporter