Darwen historic mill set for demolition

10:16am Thursday 16th August 2012 in Darwen Photograph of the Author By Catherine Pye, Health reporter

REPLACEMENT DS Smith Paper Ltd REPLACEMENT DS Smith Paper Ltd

AN historic Darwen paper mill is set to be demolished and could be replaced with a biomass plant, a councillor claims.

More than 100 jobs will go at Hollins Mill, in Hollins Road, currently home to DS Smith Paper Ltd, after the firm decided to concentrate at its other plants in Devon, Kent and Somerset. Demolition plans were sumbitted to Blackburn with Darwen Council this week.

Yesterday, when approached by the Lancashire Telegraph, a worker said “there’s no future for the firm in Darwen”, but added that staff had signed a confidentiality agreement to stay quiet.

Coun Pete Hollings, of the ruling Labour Party on Blackburn with Darwen Council, said it was “very sad” that the jobs were going, but there was likely to be a positive outcome for the town. He said: “A company called Aeternum have bought the site and have entered into a confidentiality agreement with the council. They want to build a biomass plant at the site, which will lead to a lot of skilled jobs. But this will be over a number of years. Demolishing the mill isn’t going to be a mean feat.”

DS Smith Paper Ltd, formerly known as St Regis, announced last year that it was looking to end production at the site by the end of 2012, and that staff had entered talks with Unite the union.

Coun Dave Smith said: “It’s very sad. They are good, skilled jobs at Hollins Mill. It’s also a shame to lose an historic mill site in the town.”

Hollins Mill has manufactured paper since 1845, and is the only manufacturer of high-quality recycled presentation liners in the UK. It also produces mottle, brown testliners and chip paper.

Neither Aeternum, DS Smith Paper Ltd or Unite were available for comment.

Comments (9)

11:06am Thu 16 Aug 12

RUinsane says...

Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script?
I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?
Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script? I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too? RUinsane

11:37am Thu 16 Aug 12

Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...

RUinsane wrote:
Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script?
I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?
Drug dealing & prostitution are to be included in the big society
[quote][p][bold]RUinsane[/bold] wrote: Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script? I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?[/p][/quote]Drug dealing & prostitution are to be included in the big society Michael@ClitheroeSince58

11:48am Thu 16 Aug 12

OnePostThenTheOther says...

Worked here in the eighties as a "gofer", fetching tools and parts for the fitters, scraping crusty hardened stinky woodpulp off machinery in the cellar, dropping blocks of size into vats, checking dials and guages, painting, fitting motors with new motors, replacing bearings, fitting new kit.

One job involved climbing in and out of the steam rollers on the production line to replace caked-up steam valves during shutdown with Paul and Colin. Got a bit of a fright when I couldn't get out through the tiny access hole because my body had expanded because of the residual heat inside the cylinder. I had to be hosed down, like a rioter trapped in a can, with cold water so I could eventually squeeze back out through the pelvis-width gap. It was like being reborn. I was high as a kite when I eventually got back out.

The place was an industrial relic 30 years ago.
Worked here in the eighties as a "gofer", fetching tools and parts for the fitters, scraping crusty hardened stinky woodpulp off machinery in the cellar, dropping blocks of size into vats, checking dials and guages, painting, fitting motors with new motors, replacing bearings, fitting new kit. One job involved climbing in and out of the steam rollers on the production line to replace caked-up steam valves during shutdown with Paul and Colin. Got a bit of a fright when I couldn't get out through the tiny access hole because my body had expanded because of the residual heat inside the cylinder. I had to be hosed down, like a rioter trapped in a can, with cold water so I could eventually squeeze back out through the pelvis-width gap. It was like being reborn. I was high as a kite when I eventually got back out. The place was an industrial relic 30 years ago. OnePostThenTheOther

11:54am Thu 16 Aug 12

RUinsane says...

Michael@ClitheroeSin
ce58 wrote:
RUinsane wrote:
Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script?
I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?
Drug dealing & prostitution are to be included in the big society
What about chavs with vests and dogs called tyson being processed at this Biomass plant, all lined up with their barcoded foreheads waiting for their turn. No more wind farms just biomass plants. Prisons would be empty in no time. Solved the energy crisis too.
[quote][p][bold]Michael@ClitheroeSin ce58[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]RUinsane[/bold] wrote: Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script? I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?[/p][/quote]Drug dealing & prostitution are to be included in the big society[/p][/quote]What about chavs with vests and dogs called tyson being processed at this Biomass plant, all lined up with their barcoded foreheads waiting for their turn. No more wind farms just biomass plants. Prisons would be empty in no time. Solved the energy crisis too. RUinsane

5:12pm Thu 16 Aug 12

Your ferret stinks says...

They want to build a biomass plant at the site, which will lead to a lot of skilled jobs.....What sorting plastic from paper!
Also read an article in the paper on the Biomass plant at Heineken brewery manchester were they spent £millions and during commissioning realised that they would need 200 arctic trucks a day to feed it and keep it going in order for it be have a payback.
Question is though, can the roads, drains and culverts take that constant pounding, not to mention the inconvenience to people of the town along with vermin and fumes?
They want to build a biomass plant at the site, which will lead to a lot of skilled jobs.....What sorting plastic from paper! Also read an article in the paper on the Biomass plant at Heineken brewery manchester were they spent £millions and during commissioning realised that they would need 200 arctic trucks a day to feed it and keep it going in order for it be have a payback. Question is though, can the roads, drains and culverts take that constant pounding, not to mention the inconvenience to people of the town along with vermin and fumes? Your ferret stinks

11:49pm Thu 16 Aug 12

Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...

RUinsane wrote:
Michael@ClitheroeSin

ce58 wrote:
RUinsane wrote:
Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script?
I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?
Drug dealing & prostitution are to be included in the big society
What about chavs with vests and dogs called tyson being processed at this Biomass plant, all lined up with their barcoded foreheads waiting for their turn. No more wind farms just biomass plants. Prisons would be empty in no time. Solved the energy crisis too.
Sorry my Tyson has a Tesco bag covering him to keep him warm, plus the amount of Lager he drinks I don't think he is recyclable. You can have a go at sticking one of my old string vests through if you want oh and you can have my old teeth that fell out as well I don't need them any more as I got some plastic ones as my old ones had rotted down to the stumps, it didn't bother me though cause I'm well hard.
[quote][p][bold]RUinsane[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]Michael@ClitheroeSin ce58[/bold] wrote: [quote][p][bold]RUinsane[/bold] wrote: Very sad to see another factory shut down. They can say what they like but Darwen paper mill gone, Lower Darwen paper mill gone and now Hollins paper mill gone.Not to mention Crown wallcoverings Balle street and all the other envelope places. Darwen used to be the king of paper manufacture and finishing. Now all that is left is biomass, in fact, what is biomass? are they going to process the redundant workforce like some twilight zone movie script? I really feel sorry for the younger generation where are they going to work, or are they just biomass too?[/p][/quote]Drug dealing & prostitution are to be included in the big society[/p][/quote]What about chavs with vests and dogs called tyson being processed at this Biomass plant, all lined up with their barcoded foreheads waiting for their turn. No more wind farms just biomass plants. Prisons would be empty in no time. Solved the energy crisis too.[/p][/quote]Sorry my Tyson has a Tesco bag covering him to keep him warm, plus the amount of Lager he drinks I don't think he is recyclable. You can have a go at sticking one of my old string vests through if you want oh and you can have my old teeth that fell out as well I don't need them any more as I got some plastic ones as my old ones had rotted down to the stumps, it didn't bother me though cause I'm well hard. Michael@ClitheroeSince58

11:51pm Thu 16 Aug 12

Michael@ClitheroeSince58 says...

Why not build even more wind farms instead of a bio mass plant then give the lot to the Germans, this could never happen though could it :)
Why not build even more wind farms instead of a bio mass plant then give the lot to the Germans, this could never happen though could it :) Michael@ClitheroeSince58

10:11am Fri 17 Aug 12

bril67 says...

another nail in darwens industrial coffin,the towns largest empolyers are soon going to be charity shops and pizza /kebab places
another nail in darwens industrial coffin,the towns largest empolyers are soon going to be charity shops and pizza /kebab places bril67

10:31am Sat 18 Aug 12

milano says...

Why is there a need for a confidentiality agreement either with the workforce or the council? What are we not being told?
Also what is going to happen to the Dingle? Anyone know?
Why is there a need for a confidentiality agreement either with the workforce or the council? What are we not being told? Also what is going to happen to the Dingle? Anyone know? milano

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