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4 January 2011
Last updated at 02:02 ET
Councillors are being recommended to approve a plan for a massive dragon tower on the border with England.
The Waking the Dragon landmark at Chirk Park would include a glass tower topped by a red dragon in bronze.
It is claimed it would create nearly 200 jobs and bring £3.5m a year into Wrexham.
If it goes ahead, the 64m-high tower - with a cultural centre and landscaped gardens - would dominate the A5 at Chirk.
It is the brainchild of Simon Wingett who has spent many years amassing the £9m project in memory of his father, Frank Wingett, who died from cancer in 1988.
He has launched a public fundraising campaign to finance the building costs, pledging every donor's name would be recorded on the site.
Chief planning officer for Wrexham, Lawrence Isted, who is recommending that planning permission is granted, said he considered "that the application represents a unique and unprecedented proposal".
'No public cost' He said the report prepared by independent consultants into the scheme had shown the potential economic impact, with up to 200,000 visitors a year envisaged.
"Even with the lowest scenario presented by 125,000 visitors, it has the potential to create significant economic and wider impacts which would be of benefit to Wrexham, north Wales and Wales as a whole - and at no public cost," he said.
The plans include a 41.5m tower topped by a Welsh red dragon which itself would be 23.5m high and have a wingspan of 57m.
At the foot of the glass tower would be a two-storey curved visitor centre with a floor space of 2,150sq m.
Mainly glass sided, this would include a reception area, cafe and kitchen, a retail area, an education/gallery area, and a restaurant and multi-use area.
Mr Wingett has said the project was "wholly symbolic of Wales".
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The Waking the Dragon landmark at Chirk Park would include a glass tower topped by a red dragon in bronze.
It is claimed it would create nearly 200 jobs and bring £3.5m a year into Wrexham.
If it goes ahead, the 64m-high tower - with a cultural centre and landscaped gardens - would dominate the A5 at Chirk.
It is the brainchild of Simon Wingett who has spent many years amassing the £9m project in memory of his father, Frank Wingett, who died from cancer in 1988.
He has launched a public fundraising campaign to finance the building costs, pledging every donor's name would be recorded on the site.
Chief planning officer for Wrexham, Lawrence Isted, who is recommending that planning permission is granted, said he considered "that the application represents a unique and unprecedented proposal".
'No public cost' He said the report prepared by independent consultants into the scheme had shown the potential economic impact, with up to 200,000 visitors a year envisaged.
"Even with the lowest scenario presented by 125,000 visitors, it has the potential to create significant economic and wider impacts which would be of benefit to Wrexham, north Wales and Wales as a whole - and at no public cost," he said.
The plans include a 41.5m tower topped by a Welsh red dragon which itself would be 23.5m high and have a wingspan of 57m.
At the foot of the glass tower would be a two-storey curved visitor centre with a floor space of 2,150sq m.
Mainly glass sided, this would include a reception area, cafe and kitchen, a retail area, an education/gallery area, and a restaurant and multi-use area.
Mr Wingett has said the project was "wholly symbolic of Wales".
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