Historic mill proposals set for green light

Plans to transform a pair of historic former mills into an almost 300-strong residential scheme look set to get the go-ahead.The Mutual Mills complex in Heywood comprises four assets, with the concerning mill one and mill two.The first is a six-storey, 21-bay cotton spinning facility built in 1885. The second is much the same but was completed two years earlier and also includes a two-storey office block which hosts a link bridge to mill three.Mill one is currently used for storage and distribution purposes, with mill two understood to have been mothballed.Mandale Apartments is behind the application, which proposes converting and subdividing the pair to create 298 flats.Mill one would comprise 148 units, made up of 114 one-bedroom and 34 two-bedroom. The second would accommodate the remaining 150, with 126 one-bedroom and 24 two-bedroom. A total of 348 parking spaces would also be provided within the development, with 105 at mill one, 103 at mill two and 140 external.A similar application had previously been drawn up before being withdrawn in 2018.A planning statement to Rochdale Council – whose planning committee will meet on 6 February – notes that should approval be granted, the scheme would create jobs, enhance the vitality and viability of services in the area, and provide a “major boost” to the area’s housing supply.Approval has been recommended.