Administrators sell off former textiles site
THE site of a Holmfirth textiles firm which went into administration two days before Christmas 2015 is being sold.
The mill had been loss-making for a number of years according to accounts published last month.
Westwood Yarns was acquired by textile entrepreneurs Richard Collinge and Tim Kay, who paid £1m cash just three months before the administration.
Former owners Victoria Carpets, who had owned the wool carpet yarn business for 26 years and provided 90% of its work, offloaded the company in September with a devastating critique of its future prospects.
Property consultancy, Sanderson Weatherall has been appointed by administrators KPMG to market the Washpit Mills site on Choppards Lane.
In January, 94 of its 130 staff were made redundant at the 168,000 sq ft site.
Wool opening, blending and spinning machinery on site is also for sale. An online auction will be held on 21 April 2016.
John Noon, senior manager at KPMG, said: “We appointed Sanderson Weatherall to sell the property and textile equipment thanks to the firm’s knowledge of selling specialist machinery of this kind, combined with its expertise in connecting with the commercial property market in this sector.”
The property sale is being led by David Murray and Craig Watson within Sanderson Weatherall’s asset advisory and recovery team, with Roy Tubman and Mark Lord, partners in the Machinery and Business Assets division, being responsible for the sale of the textile machinery and equipment.
Craig Watson, senior surveyor at Sanderson Weatherall, said: “This property is in an excellent position, just one mile south of Holmfirth town centre with stunning views across the Holme Valley.
“The site comprises an interesting range of properties, making it ideal for conversion as well as redevelopment, and we have received a good amount of interest. The interest, both domestic and overseas, in the plant and machinery is very encouraging and we expect to receive a great deal of enquiries from interested parties.”
