Council may take over old mill site
THE council may take over ownership of the site of an derelict mill after failing to get the owner to carry out improvements.
Rossendale Council will decide whether to make Sunnyside Works, near the former Sunnyside Mill and Albert Mill, on Market Street, Whitworth, subject to a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO), the power that allows certain bodies to obtain land or property without the consent of the owner.
The council were due to make the decision last week only for the full council meeting on March 18 to be postponed due to the coronavirus crisis.
They believe it is necessary “to enable the proposed housing development on the surrounding land at Albert Mill, for which planning permission has been submitted, on the basis that it will contribute towards the achievement of the economic, social and environmental well-being of the area.”
The report outlines that the site is made up of “interconnected, semiderelict factory warehouse units, adding: “Sunnyside Works is a derelict mill situated on the above brownfield land that previously formed the aforementioned mill and factory complex.
“The building is in a state of disrepair.”
The council have now “made several attempts to contact the various owners of the mill over a prolonged period of time.
The report states: “A valuation was obtained with the view to acquiring the site by consent and the Council attempted to link the owners of the mill with the proposed developers of the adjacent land.
“However the mill owners had an unrealistic expectation of value and negotiations did not proceed.
“Further attempts to contact the mill owners with requests to secure or improve the condition have been non forthcoming.”
It is now believed that a CPO is the only route forward in obtaining the site to be immediately handed over to the developers.
The developers currently own Albert Mill and Sunnyside Mill, and are planning to build 37 houses and 48 apartments for over-55s.
The CPO, if approved, could be subject to a legal challenge.