Green light for mill regeneration project

Proposals to regenerate a derelict mill in Hoddlesden and provide 79 new homes have been approved.Carus Mill was formerly a textile mill making medical fabrics such as swabs and bandages for export around the world. It closed in 2003 and was burned down in a spectacular blaze in 2008. Ground investigations have subsequently shown that the site has been polluted over many years.The application to Blackburn with Darwen Council sought full planning permission for the demolition of several derelict buildings, together with remediation works to the site to enable the completion of a development platform. BXB Land Solutions secured outline permission for 79 new homes split between two, three and four bed properties accessed via Johnson New Road.Gary Goodman of BXB said: “This site has blighted the village for years and our proposals sensitively deal with a host of challenges whilst transforming its visual impact and amenity value. I’m pleased for the villagers, who were supportive of our proposals throughout and who will now benefit from the remediation and delivery of the site.”Negotiations for the site’s onward sale to a housing developer will begin shortly, Goodman added.Supporting consultants on the project included Curtins (transport), Brock Carmichael (architects), Nexus (planning) and Erap (ecology).