Grade II-listed mill to be turned into flats

The renovation project will also include a restaurant space and a rooftop garden

Plans to transform a former cotton mill and its neighbouring building into almost 300 apartments have been approved.

The renovation project at Warwick Mill in Middleton, Greater Manchester will also include a restaurant space and a rooftop garden.

The Grade II-listed site has been empty since it was ravaged by a fire in 2018, and will be home to 135 apartments with commercial space also up for grabs.

Developers Kam Lei Fong (UK) Ltd will also demolish the neighbouring six-storey office block, known as London House, and replace it with a 146-apartment building.

The 1960s building, dubbed as "an eyesore" by the developer, will be replaced by The Loom, which would include a rooftop garden and retail spaces, with one reserved for a supermarket.

The new 10-storey building will also feature basement parking and a walkway to Warwick Mill.

A planning statement described Warwick Mill as being in "a poor state"

A new restaurant in the old Engine Room, a gym and a function room for weddings and conferences are also included in the plans for the mill.

The restaurant area will feature an outdoor space with decking for diners and a riverside walkway are included in the plans.

A total of 77 parking spaces are provided across the development area with 24 in the ground floor area of the mill, 29 for the Loom building and 20 for the restaurant area.

The planning statement said: “Proposals will breathe new life into a Grade II-listed vacant mill and remove the eyesore of London House, and allow the site to fully contribute to the ongoing regeneration of Middleton.

“Warwick Mill is in a particularly poor state of repair and without considerable intervention and investment; there is a very real risk of the building’s deterioration accelerating which could result in total loss.

“The iconic mill will be refurbished and repurposed including a rooftop extension, with neighbouring land developed, to provide 281 new homes, commercial and retail spaces and open space.”

This proposal forms one part of the Middleton Town Centre Masterplan.

The idea behind this masterplan is to boost the town by creating new housing and commercial space, improving connectivity across the area.

Rochdale Council’s planning team have officially approved the plans, meaning construction work can now begin.