Macclesfield silk mill to be sold to Cheshire East Council
- Published
Silk production ended in 1981 at the mill
A 19th Century mill once at the centre of Macclesfield's silk industry is "in the final stages" of being sold to Cheshire East Council.
Paradise Mill in the town centre was built in 1862 and contains a number of restored mechanical looms.
Cheshire East Council hopes to expand its role as an attraction to build on the town's heritage.
Macclesfield was at the centre of the silk trade in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Production at Paradise Mill ended in 1981 but tours are still run in the building where the the central attraction is its 26 working Jacquard looms.
The rest of the building is currently marketed as office space.
Leader Michael Jones told the BBC "this is good news for silk".
He said: "We're very close to announcing that we've purchased that building.
"That allows us to retain and secure those looms, and that gives us a base for the future heritage of silk there."
The town already has a Silk Museum, telling the story of Macclesfield's silk industry and charting the process of silk manufacturing from cocoon to loom.