Facelift plan for historic town landmark shelved
WORKABLE SOLUTION COULD NOT BE FOUND FOR BUILDING
PLANS to breathe new life into one of Driffield’s most famous landmarks have fallen through.
Historic Mortimer’s Warehouse stands next to the town’s River Head.
It was built in the late 18th century as part of a boom in exporting agricultural products by water.
It had been hoped to bring the empty grade-two listed building back into use with a ground-floor deli, new office space and meeting rooms.
However, a steering group led by Driffield Town Council has now reluctantly been forced to shelve the facelift idea after spending three years examining options.
Town council clerk Claire Binnington said: “The outcome for all of us is disappointing but we are grateful to the National Lottery Heritage Fund for providing the funding for us to undertake the necessary business planning to see if we could make the project work.
“On behalf of the steering group, I would like to thank the owners for their generous offer to the town and also, all the people who have expressed their interest in the project over the years.
“Despite the outcome, it has been a worthwhile process to go through and we have all learned a lot.”
A representative on behalf of the building’s private owners said: “We all hoped that Mortimer’s Warehouse could have been used for the benefit of the local community. However, despite all the effort put in by the Town Council and other partners this is not going to be possible at this time.”
Until as recently as 2016 it remained in use as a grain store but has stood empty since then. Spread over three floors, notable heritage features include original brickwork, timbers, and the unmistakable exterior painted sign. A recent survey found it to be in good overall condition.