Llyr Gruffydd MS Member of the Senedd for North Wales

A North Wales Member of the Senedd is asking new questions about the long-delayed report into the 2020 fire at the Kronospan plant at Chirk .

Plaid Cymru’s North Wales MS Llyr Gruffydd, who has consistently called for the publication of the report into the fire at the woodchip factory, said he was astounded that Wrexham Council had only asked for all relevant information from the North Wales Fire and Rescue Service THREE years after the incident on January 23rd, 2023.

Mr Gruffydd said: "The Freedom of Information response from the Fire and Rescue Service, which undertook a Level One investigation into the fire's cause, states very clearly that Wrexham Council is the body charged with investigating the fire. That fire caused great alarm in the community at the time and resulted in people being told to keep windows closed. Residents were hospitalised as a result and it's vital that the community understands what happened and what went wrong. 

"The delay was initially put down to Covid and I accept that public protection resources needed to be prioritised. However, there is no excuse for the council not requesting all relevant information from the Fire and Rescue Service for three years, as the FOI suggests. 

"As the FOI states that this was a low-level investigation by the Investigating Officer, it is very odd that we have not had sight of the results of the investigation findings for three years.

"This isn't going away - people in Chirk as well as workers at the plant deserve to know what happened on that night and it's vital that lessons are learned. How can that happen if there's no sign of the investigation?"

Mr Gruffydd added: "The lack of communication from the council regarding this matter, despite the obvious and justifiable public interest, is worrying. It will only add to the perception that something's gone badly wrong in terms of the investigation. I would urge Wrexham Council to make public their findings as soon as possible."