Don’t pull down old Turton mill, says former owner (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Don’t pull down old Turton mill, says former owner

7:30am Tuesday 22nd December 2009 in North Turton

THE former owner of an historic textile mill has called on developers not to pull the building down.

Peter Wood’s wool production business, Peter Wood (Yarns) Ltd, was based in Victoria Mill in Station Road, Chapeltown, for almost 30 years.

Mr Wood said he was “deeply upset” by plans to demolish the mill and replace it with seven luxury “eco homes”.

Planning permission was previously granted to convert the mill into flats, but the developers say the building has since then suffered from structural movement and needs to be demolished.

But Mr Wood says the building is structurally sound and should not be demolished to make way for housing.

The stone-built mill is more than 150 years old and was built shortly after the nearby railway line was laid between 1854 and 1856.

Mr Wood said he was very surprised by claims that the building was unfit for conversion.

“I can’t understand the comments that it’s structurally unsound,” he said.

“We were based at that mill for nearly 30 years and we spent more time there than we did at home.

“We looked after it when we were there and there was nothing wrong with it when we left.

“It’s designed so that if you took the end walls off, it would still stand.

“I can’t imagine what’s gone wrong with it.”

He added: “It would be a sad loss for the area because a lot of people go on walks up the side of the mill.

“It would be a loss of something that is interesting.”

The development is proposed by Eco house Bolton Ltd, a company which belongs to former Premiership football star Garry Flitcroft.

The houses, which could be sold for more than £700,000 each, are designed to be made from sustainably- sourced materials, would be energy-saving and would also make use of recycled stone from the demolished mill.

North Turton Parish Council has objected to the plan because of the proposed destruction of the historic mill, the loss of green belt land and the absence of affordable housing.

The application will be decided by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s planning committee at a date yet to be set.

Mr Flitcroft, who lives in Bromley Cross, was unavailable for comment.