Fears after Rossendale factory fires

11:00am Monday 23rd August 2010 in News Photograph of the Author By Emma Cruces, Reporter

BLAZE-HIT: The empty factory BLAZE-HIT: The empty factory

NEIGHBOURS fear a youngster may die in a former Rossendale textiles factory repeatedly hit by fires.

Fire crews were again called to the old Joshua Hoyle Fabrics complex, off Booth Road, Waterfoot, late on Friday night.

The blaze destroyed a 10metre by 20metre section of the plant and an investigation into the cause has been launched.

People living nearby say the Mill End Mill factory has been targeted by teenage intruders every summer since it closed in May 2003.The empty factory stands behind a row of terraces and offices in Burnley Road East.

Neighbour Gemma Goy, of Burnley Road East, said: “It is going to end up with someone dying before they do anything about this.

“We are fed up and ring the police every time we see someone in the building.

"We have seen gangs of up to 20 young people running out of the factory at times.”

Plans were unveiled several years ago by Seddon Homes to demolish the factory and build a number of properties, which won the support of residents.

But the proposals were turned down by Rossendale Council development control committee and later rejected by a planning inspector, after the developer lodged a formal appeal.

Contractors have now boarded up one of the main sections at the building after the weekend blaze when three houses backing on to the factory were evacuated.

Comments (3)

12:36pm Mon 23 Aug 10

Abu Qurfan says...

This is not the only location in the valley where youths congregate and conflagrate. The police and council authorities have been alerted and warned that sooner or later there is going to be a fatality either due directly to the fire or to the building structure weakening as a result of successive arso attempts.
Therefore the following leaves me astounded
"Plans were unveiled several years ago by Seddon Homes to demolish the factory and build a number of properties, which won the support of residents.
But the proposals were turned down by Rossendale Council development control committee and later rejected by a planning inspector, after the developer lodged a formal appeal".

Did the developer not influence the council enough to allow this to go ahead? Surely if the residents are in favour then the council should support them, after all it was the electorate who voted them in and they should be representing the best interests of their constituents not their own.
This is not the only location in the valley where youths congregate and conflagrate. The police and council authorities have been alerted and warned that sooner or later there is going to be a fatality either due directly to the fire or to the building structure weakening as a result of successive arso attempts. Therefore the following leaves me astounded "Plans were unveiled several years ago by Seddon Homes to demolish the factory and build a number of properties, which won the support of residents. But the proposals were turned down by Rossendale Council development control committee and later rejected by a planning inspector, after the developer lodged a formal appeal". Did the developer not influence the council enough to allow this to go ahead? Surely if the residents are in favour then the council should support them, after all it was the electorate who voted them in and they should be representing the best interests of their constituents not their own. Abu Qurfan

2:21pm Mon 23 Aug 10

useyourhead says...

as with other properties of this ilk, force the owner to secure (and patrol) the premises if necessary. or demolish it altogether and clear the site.
-
property ownership comes with responsibilities, both to people who can access it and to the environment in which it sits (or festers, as in this case).
as with other properties of this ilk, force the owner to secure (and patrol) the premises if necessary. or demolish it altogether and clear the site. - property ownership comes with responsibilities, both to people who can access it and to the environment in which it sits (or festers, as in this case). useyourhead

6:08pm Tue 24 Aug 10

Little miss anon says...

To be fair to the owners they have spent thousands on trying to secure this building time and time again but they always manage to break in again. One of the managers patrolled it last night and found 6 teenagers inside again, the police were called again and they were cautioned. When will it end?!

As for the plans - everyone fought for the application but the council rejected it and the appeal. As I understand it would cost tens of thousands to demolish it and they can't really sell it without planning permission which keeps being refused so they'd end up losing thousands with no real promise of getting the money back.

Basically they need planning permission granted so it can be knocked down and something done with the land instead of it just rotting and being a doss-hole for these pathetic local kids with a death wish.
To be fair to the owners they have spent thousands on trying to secure this building time and time again but they always manage to break in again. One of the managers patrolled it last night and found 6 teenagers inside again, the police were called again and they were cautioned. When will it end?! As for the plans - everyone fought for the application but the council rejected it and the appeal. As I understand it would cost tens of thousands to demolish it and they can't really sell it without planning permission which keeps being refused so they'd end up losing thousands with no real promise of getting the money back. Basically they need planning permission granted so it can be knocked down and something done with the land instead of it just rotting and being a doss-hole for these pathetic local kids with a death wish. Little miss anon

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