New plans are set to be revealed for the £17.3 million regeneration of a derelict mill complex in Marsden.

New Mills, owned by the Crowther family, has been empty for 20 years but plans to restore the 1.5-hectare site secured a promise of £5.6 million in Levelling Up cash from the last Tory government.

The funding was confirmed in the first Budget of incoming Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves and now developers have drawn up new plans, which will go out to public consultation next week.

Back in June, developers took a pre-planning application document to a meeting of Kirklees Council’s Strategic Planning Committee where they admitted they were struggling to produce a financially viable scheme. Read more about that HERE.

Further work was undertaken and now the developers believe they have a viable way forward.

They are hoping to retain all the main mill buildings with a mixed use on the site to include industrial, commercial, retail, residential and creative industry uses.

A phased approach is suggested which will see new industrial, retail and commercial uses delivered first, with the upper floors of the main mill buildings renovated, with a view to developing into new homes in the future.

There will also be a comprehensive programme of landscaping and new pedestrian routes through the site, with public spaces open to local residents.

Car parking is a major issue in Marsden and the plans include a parking area and a ramped area for delivery.

 

 

Speaking for the family, Philip Crowther said: “This preferred option will regenerate New Mills with a mixed-use development including a range of new homes, leisure and retail uses, and a detailed landscaping scheme.

“We would like to thank everyone who has taken part in the consultation so far and would like as much feedback as possible for this round of the consultation process.

“We have tried to understand the priorities of local people and a range of heritage and civic stakeholders and to balance this with a deliverable scheme to get to this point in the process.

“We believe this scheme provides the best possible future for New Mills.”

The public consultation will be launched by the project team on Wednesday December 11 (4.30pm-8pm) at Marsden Mechanics Hall in Peel Street, Marsden.

Feedback can also be submitted via a dedicated website which will go live on December 11 at www.newmillsmarsden-consultation.co.uk.

Following the latest round of public consultation, a hybrid planning application will be submitted to Kirklees Council.

The planning application will agree the early deliverable scheme in detail with future elements in outline.

 

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