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Plans for a West Yorkshire 19th century wool mill, severely damaged in a suspected arson attack in 2016, are set to be approved by Kirklees council. Developers Panorama Living Ltd have submitted applications to build new housing and apartments in the former wool mill.
The iconic Victorian mill, on Ruth Street, Huddersfield, was gutted and partially demolished after the November 2016 fire, and has been fenced off and boarded up by Manchester based Panorama Living, who had planned to redevelop the remains of the site, and it’s clock tower. There had been concerns over safety fears on the site, after trespassers had been seen scaling the clock tower earlier this year.
The first woollen mill on the site dates back to 1827, founded by John Taylor. The building burned down in 1872, and in 1873 Ephraim Beaumont Taylor went in to partnership with Joshua Littlewood to form Taylor & Littlewood, under which name the firm operated, until the mill closed in 1983.
After the closure of the mill, the majority of the buildings were let out as business units until the site was closed in 2006. The remains of the building as they stand now, are Grade II listed, as examples of late 19th century worsted textiles manufacturing, and the tower and archway being of architectural interest.
Previously, planning and development applications had been delayed, after Historic England, who exist to champion England’s heritage, wanted further information which would have involved getting engineers on site, upping previous costs, to ensure that a solution would be found to enable repair and reuse the listed buildings.
Historic England, as well as Homes England are keen supporters of the redevelopment and reuse of the many historic Victorian mills across Yorkshire and the North West of England. The mills are considered a ‘cultural asset’ with vast potential to offer housing and commercial solutions, and to breathe new live in to deprived areas.
Kirklees council are considering a trio of applications from Panorama Living. The first is for the redevelopment and four-storey extension to the remaining mill building to provide 15 one-bed and 18 two-bed apartments, with the former office block to be converted in to a single dwelling, and to repair the clock tower.
A second application is for the construction of 30 new houses and 12 apartments on the wider site, with the third application is seeking listed building consent for work to the mill.
A planning officer’s report prepared for the 19 December meeting recommends the applications are approved, stating that the scheme reflects the character and history of the site, and that the scheme needs to be viable if the heritage asset is to be saved.
“The joint aims delivering a viable housing end use for the mill as well as the adjoining site and the restoration of the mill will need to be covered by a phased delivery plan that is to be secured within a Section 106 to ensure restoration work on the mill is delivered as well as the new dwellings.”
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