‘If it wasn’t for this mill, Keighley would not be the town it is now…’ a conservation officer noted to councillors in a call to reject plans that would see a modern industrial unit built in front of Low Mill, a Grade II* listed building that played a vital role in the town’s history, reports The Yorkshire Post.
image: Chris Allen / Low Mill, Keighley CC BY-SA 2.0 Wikimedia Commons
… the building was not in danger of collapse…
The Yorkshire Post writes:
[The Conservation Officer] said that despite the current state of the building, there have been recent discussions with a heritage body that could see the mill restored.
Based on Gresley Road, Low Mill dates back to 1779, was the first cotton mill to be built in Yorkshire. It was powered by water diverted from the River Worth through a series of sluices a goit and is associated with Sir Richard Arkwright, renowned industrial engineer.
Despite its historic significance, the building has been derelict for decades, and was recently added to Save Britain’s Heritage’s “At Risk” register.
And the water features were recently “destroyed” – with the council currently investigating who was behind this heritage crime.
A planning application to build a steel fabricating workshop in front of the site was submitted to Bradford Council by JCL Machinery Limited in 2020.
The company had recently purchased the plot of land in front of the mill, unaware of the illegal work that had been done prior to the purchase….
…a recent survey looking at the structure found that while there were issues, such as the badly damaged roof, the building was not in danger of collapse….
When asked what type of support Historic England would offer, Mr Ackroyd said: “Initially it would be financial support towards action to secure the building. They haven’t ruled out further financial support.”
He suggested the Towns Fund, a £33m pot of cash awarded to Keighley by Government, could help in the building’s future.
One scheme proposed through this grant is the creation of a £14 million fund to “restore and repurpose buildings and redevelop sites for commercial and residential use.”
Mr Ackroyd said: “This is one building that we put on the list of potential candidates for Towns Fund assistance. It wouldn’t pay for everything, but it would contribute.”
Chair of the panel Coun Doreen Lee said: “I’ve known this mill all my life. I’m not the biggest conservationist, but this mill should really be retained.
“We should be very proud of our engineering history.”
Members unanimously voted to refuse the plan for the workshop.
For more background see the NewsBlog
