A DEVELOPER has acquired a large derelict moorland mill to transform into a 79 home estate in what has been described as a ‘major shot in the arm’ for a pretty commuter village.

Earlier this year, councillors unanimously gave permission for redevelopment of the former Vernon Carus Mill site near Hoddlesden village with one, two and three-bedroomed houses.

Now developer Kingswood Homes has acquired the site with plans to have the first units completed by late 2022.

But Kingswood Homes managing director Paul Jones has revealed that the deal almost didn’t happen.

He said: “The mill closed in 2003 and was left derelict after a fire in 2008 becoming an eye sore. It had been identified as a potential site for housing but stalled for various reasons.

“This autumn we’d agreed to buy the site and committed a large amount of resources and effort to the deal, agreeing exchange and completion dates based on our funding facility.

“Then eight weeks after the deal was originally agreed we were gazumped by a national housebuilder who offered the landowner better payment terms than we could.

“This is a continual problem we face and so I called the agent to see if there was anything we could do. We bounced some ideas around and reached a compromise and exchanged contracts the following day.

“SMEs (small medium enterprises) might be smaller, we might not have the deep pockets of the PLCs (public limited company) but we can be quicker and more nimble and more determined. We’re now looking forward to bringing our own plans forward to bring this derelict brownfield site back into good use by developing the land to provide aspirational new homes.”

Situated off Johnson New Road, residents of the new homes will be able to walk into the centre of Hoddlesden village, while Darwen is just a few miles away and the M65, offering access to Blackburn, Preston and Manchester.

The Preston-based developer is also behind the 'award-winning' Green Hills housing estate in Feniscowles, Blackburn.

Councillor Phil Riley, the authority's regeneration boss said: "We have always known that this is a very tricky site but one that the local residents and councillors would really like to see developed so I think we can say this is a positive step.

"Kingswood's record on the site in Blackburn speaks for itself so this must only be a step in the right direction