A DERELICT mill can be turned into a luxury village, planners have ruled.

Skipton Properties will bulldoze the 19th century Kearns of Waterfoot textiles mill and erect 22 four and five bedroom homes, with private parking, landscaping, and a sta-ble block with fields.

Before the Cowpe site closed in 1996, between 80 and 100 employees worked there, dying carpets for large man-ufacturers such as Kidderminster and clo-thes for brands inclu-ding Barbour.

The new develo-pment will be split between two court-yards , Cowpe Pastures and Kearns Mill Court, with the old mill gates relocated to a new main entrance off Co-wpe Road. Residents said they were happy with the development but have raised conc-erns about road safety.

David Elmer, who has lived in Cowpe Road for more than 30 years, said: “I have no objections to homes whatsoever.

“It is a beautiful spot which needs to be used. But with the only access to the devel-opment being along Cowpe Road, a winding road with blind bends, it could be dangerous for people along it.

“I’ve lost two wing mirrors along there and am concerned for the safety of children walking along it. I’m also concerned the road and the retaining walls could collapse if they aren’t properly maintained.”

The county council’s highways department said a footpath should be provided along the south side of Cowpe Road to provide a ref-uge for pedestrians at the narrowest section.

Officers have also advised that the roads should be built to adoptable standards.

Neil Birtles, a plan-ning officer at Ross-endale Council, said: “The desire for a greater proportion of new housing to be on previously-developed land meant there was then a stronger case for permitting the resi-dential development of this site”.