Regent Mill, an industrial complex on St James Street in Heywood, is set to be demolished by Rochdale Borough Council as part of a wider regeneration plan for the town. The local authority expects the clearance of the deteriorating building to pave the way for around 200 new homes, which are anticipated to be more affordable housing.
Demolition to unlock housing schemes
According to the council, once the former tile merchant building has been levelled, it will facilitate housing schemes to come forward in the area, linking into Heywood's ongoing regeneration. The site is an industrial complex rather than a historic cotton mill, and its removal is intended to improve the visual appeal of the area and address the local housing shortage.
No timeline has been set for when the new homes might be built. The council said it hopes to bring forward plans for more than 200 homes on and around the Regent Mill area over time.
Existing regeneration projects
The demolition work is part of a broader regeneration programme that has already seen the completion of a new Heywood Civic building and a makeover of Peine Square, which sits on the Civic's doorstep. Some £20 million of the government's Pride in Place funding is currently being spent in the area, with grant applications for local businesses expected to open soon, bringing additional cash directly to local organisations.
Coun Danny Meredith, cabinet member for regeneration and housing at Rochdale Borough Council, said: "The demolition of Regent Mill is part of the wider regeneration of this part of Heywood, as part of our masterplan. This will see us work with partners to transform brownfield sites around the town centre into new, high-quality much needed social homes for local people."
Meredith added: "Over time, we hope to bring forward more than 200 homes on and around the Regent Mill area. So where we now have empty sites, which are not visually appealing, we will have fantastic new homes to help address our housing shortage and give the whole area a lift."
Highway safety concerns addressed
Highways teams have raised concerns about the demolition work, noting that recent demolitions of properties in this area "have caused damage to highways surfaces causing significant risk to pedestrians". In response, planning papers describe how the council intends to fence off the demolition site, including debris netting and site signage, to protect pedestrians and the roads.
Meredith said: "We have already seen considerable regeneration within Heywood town centre and this project will continue this redevelopment and further support local families."
