Many of the Mills in the Rossendale valley were built around the Cotton and Wool industries and then utilised by the footwear industry – all of which are now pre-dominantly imported.
With the mills being multi-storey, many businesses do not want to use upper floors as they are inefficient in use, leading to the decay of these floors. This combined with infrastructure around the mills being inadequate for large goods vehicles, and unpopular with local residents has led to the development of a Mill Strategy document.
Housing was also built around industry in the late 1800’s early 1900’s but is now more popular on the edge of town or where access to motorway networks can be accessed easily.
One of these mills, Gagg Hills was bought by the B & E Boys with planning permission back in the 1990’s but has only been used for storage in the main ever since.
Recently B & E Boys have been in discussion with the Local Planning Authority about the future of the Mills it owns in the valley and in particular the Waterfoot Mills, creating a strategy for future re-development.
The Mill Strategy document has various outline proposals for redevelopment of some of the worst mill properties where the cost to restore them would be prohibitive and where residential use is now more in keeping with the surrounding area, whilst improving the better mills to improved job number on those sites.
B & E Boys is currently undertaking feasibility studies on some of the mill sites with a view to submitting plans soon.