Plans submitted to restore Grade Two listed mill buildings

Plans have been submitted to restore parts of an iconic  Grade Two Bradford mill site which dates back to 1873.

Developer Urban Splash is seeking permission from Bradford Council to make the remaining parts of the Lister Mills site in Manningham – of which two large buildings have already been converted into apartment blocks – safe and accessible.

Lister Mills consists of a complex of Grade Two structures. The two main buildings have already undergone regeneration work and are now two mixed-use developments. The remaining buildings have yet to be developed. “But repair works are required to make the site safe and accessible,” the planning application states.

Urban Splash said the project aimed to consolidate and repair the building facades occupying the street elevations.

They are also proposing to clear the internal courtyards, repair internal structures and support other structures. “The buildings are currently in varying levels of deterioration and the works necessarily involve some demolition for those in very poor conditions,” the developer added in the application.

The firm added: “The Mill today, similar to many hundreds of textile mills in Yorkshire, are either underused or vacant. There are opportunities for developing [the] textiles mills [of] which the first two stages of regeneration at Lister Mills (Silk Mill and Velvet Mill) have proven to be a success. However, the danger of ongoing decline could result in the eventual building fabric loss if not addressed.

“The repairs aim to provide another 10 years of lifespan to the structures, which are generally in a poor condition and only partially intact. The proposals are generally beneficial to significance, with the public benefit of conservation repair clearly justified. The partial demolition of some areas of the site will be harmful to significance to various degrees. This harm is outweighed by the public benefits of ensuring the site is safe from collapse into the street and further deterioration is avoided. In the last few years, several areas of collapse have occurred. The current proposals are deemed to be the most economically viable way of securing the site, prior to a sustainable future use being identified.”

Lister Mills were built in 1873 for Samuel Cunliffe Lister, later Lord Manham. The site is a major landmark in Bradford and provides 16 acres of floorspace. The mills include two long six-storey blocks, a ‘grandiose composite chimney’, a boiler house, large sheds and reservoirs.

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close