'Deteriorating' historic Belper mills need urgent repair

The two mills in Belper are part of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site

Two historic cotton mills in Derbyshire have "significantly deteriorated" and need urgent repair, according to local authority officials.

Strutt's Mills in Belper is leaking badly, historian Roger Shelley said.

Amber Valley Borough Council said it was considering a compulsory purchase order to protect the buildings.

Owners First Investment said it had a strategy to turn the mills into a mix of flats and retail space. It said a maintenance programme was ongoing.

Industrial 'giant'

Mary Smedley, a trustee of the Strutt's North Mill Trust, said: "They need serious TLC to get them into some sort of state where they are viable for conversion.

"Everybody needs to work together to find the solution for this."

Historian Roger Shelley said: "It's not a surprise to anyone who wanders around the buildings both from the outside and inside - you will be aware that there are window panes missing, downpipes blocked and the roof leaking.

"The damage is on a big scale and the costs are multiplying. Any problems have been building up over a number of years and that means the solutions won't be a quick fix either."

The original North Mill was built by Jedediah Strutt in 1786 but was destroyed by fire in 1803

A report from Amber Valley Borough Council said the Grade I listed North Mill and the Grade II listed East Mill both need repairs as they have suffered "significant damage".

Some parts of the two mills remain in good condition and are leased to local businesses.

Jedediah Strutt, considered a "giant of the industrial revolution", built the mills along the River Derwent in the 18th Century.

Belper North Mill, also known as Strutt's North Mill, was given Unesco World Heritage Status in 2001.