Keighley's Walk Mills could be replaced by industrial park

Walk Mills in Keighley was once a major part of the West Yorkshire town's textile industry

A 19th Century mill could be flattened to make way for an industrial park under plans being considered.

Walk Mills in Keighley was once a major part of the town's textile industry.

However, since production ceased in the 1970s, parts of the site, including its chimney, have been demolished.

Bradford Council will decide in May whether to approve plans from B&E Boys to replace remaining buildings with 12 industrial units. A report said the town's heritage would not be harmed.

How the site could look if plans are approved

As part of its submission, the applicant argued the mill buildings were "old, dilapidated and ill suited to adaptation", adding the proposed redevelopment of the site would attract more businesses to Keighley.

The site is located between the River Worth and the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

'Limited architectural interest'

A heritage report said: "Walk Mills is significant in the immediate local context primarily for its historic interest as the remaining buildings of a once-larger 19th Century woollen mill complex that is the legacy of the town's textile heritage.

"The architectural interest of the buildings is limited as they are experienced primarily as functional, monolithic structures which are notable for their scale and massing rather than any merit or distinctiveness.

"As regards any effect on the adjacent Keighley and Worth Valley Railway, this is not a designated heritage asset in itself, and as the other industrial structures are unaffected, the character of the Keighley end of the line will remain evident."

The report's authors went on to state that economic benefits associated with regeneration of the site should be considered.

In 2017, B&E Boys applied to demolish the mill and build housing on the site, but that application was withdrawn in 2021.