Rochdale Borough Council has struck a deal to acquire Middleton’s Warwick Mill, in a huge boost to the ongoing regeneration of the area.
Built in 1907, the Grade II listed structure stopped operating as a cotton mill in 1965 and has been vacant for at least a decade.
In recent years, alongside its neighbour, 1960’s office building, London House, which the council is also hoping to acquire under the terms of the deal, the site has become an eyesore and a target for vandalism.
For the past decade the council has been working with the private sector to find a solution for the imposing structure but none of the plans came to fruition and its condition has been gradually deteriorating.
The council has been looking at buying the mill for a period of time, but a recent engagement exercise with local residents and businesses galvanised their decision.
The exercise, titled ‘Our Town, Our Future’ saw local community organisation, Middleton Co-operating, engage with more than 2,000 residents to find out what they wanted for the area as part of wider work to create a Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) for the area, which will be chaired by Middleton-born actor and comedian, Steve Coogan, and Rose Marley, chief executive of Co-operatives UK.
Around a third of respondents said they would like to see Warwick Mill brought back into use. A number of people responding to the survey said that the building has huge potential and should be sensitively restored and brought back into use for the benefit of the wider community.
Councillor Neil Emmott, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said:
“Warwick Mill is an important landmark in Middleton and serves as a striking visual reminder of the area’s rich history as a major player in the global cotton trade. It also represents a huge regeneration opportunity and a chance to really revitalise this key part of the town centre.
“Middleton’s MDC will be based on cooperative values, with the community, businesses, voluntary sector, council and GMCA all working together to bring about positive changes. The desire to bring Warwick Mill back into use came through very clearly in the engagement exercise and we’ve responded to this. We’re keen to honour Middleton’s proud heritage as we continue to forge a new and exciting future for this special place.”
The announcement was made at an event at Middleton Arena to bring the community together and update them on the ‘our town, our future’ engagement exercise and the formation of the MDC. The event, which was attended by Steve Coogan, Rose Marley, Mayor of Greater Manchester, Bev Craig, and Rochdale Borough Council leader, Councillor Neil Emmott, gave residents an insight into what people had said they wanted to see in Middleton, and, crucially, what the next steps will be.
Rose Marley, co-chair of Middleton Co-operative Mayoral Development Corporation, said:
"More than 2,000 people gave their time to Our Town, Our Future – the biggest conversation Middleton has ever had about its own future. What came back was clear: people want to see regeneration done with Middleton, not to Middleton.
"That's what this event was about. Middleton people, Middleton businesses, Rochdale Borough Council, Greater Manchester Combined Authority, all pulling in the same direction. Co-operation at every level, from local government to the family who filled in a survey on their phone.
"The Middleton Co-operative Mayoral Development Corporation will help to carry that mandate forward: into the town's housing, transport, green spaces and public buildings – Warwick Mill among them – and into every decision still to be made. This is co-operation in its truest sense, and it's how Middleton's future should be built."
A feasibility study to determine future uses for the building is ongoing and the community will be consulted on final plans for the building.
Residents will see changes get underway within the next few months, with the council set to immediately invest in urgent building repairs, tidying up the landscape around the building’s exterior and improving security.