Engines of Prosperity: New Uses for Old Mills (West Yorkshire)
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Engines of Prosperity: new uses for old mills Top: Parkwood Mills, Longwood Bottom right: Dance workshop at 1912 Mill, Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley Bottom left: Art worshop at Sunny Bank Mills, Farsley Cover: Lister Mills, Bradford Contents Page 1.0 Executive Summary 2 2.0 Introduction 4 3.0 Sampled Textile Mills 7 4.0 Analysis of lessons 16 of best practice 5.0 Conclusions and action plan 32 for the regeneration of the West Riding of Yorkshire’s Textile Mills Appendix 1: Case Study Mills 35 Appendix 2: Target Mills 50 Disclaimer This report has been prepared by Cushman & Wakefield, (“C&W”), solely for Historic We are grateful to the following for contributing photography England for the West Yorkshire Textile Mill project and should not be used or relied upon for this report: by any other individual(s) or entity or for any other project. Mr J Gaunt and Mr W Gaunt of Sunny Bank Mills, Reproduction or redistribution of this publication’s content in whole or part, in any forms, PJ Livesey, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission of C&W. Nor may you transmit it or Bradford Metropolitan District Council, store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system. Rick Harrison, C&W accepts no responsibility or liability whatsoever, howsoever arising, for the Huddersfield Examiner, consequences of this document or part thereof, being used for a purpose other than that Anita Morris Associates, for which it was commissioned. Persons/parties using or relying on this document agree, Creative Space Management, and will by such use or reliance be taken to confirm their agreement to indemnify C&W for Cushman & Wakefield, any and all loss or damage resulting therefrom. Lathams and Historic England 1 1.0 Executive Summary Securing active and sustainable futures for West Yorkshire’s Riding of Yorkshire and scaling-up the above benefits by vacant and underused textile mills is critical to sustaining the total number of remaining mills (1,365) suggests there the character of these important symbols of the County’s is capacity for these mills to generate approximately: industrial heritage. However, their regeneration can also • 150,000 jobs (equivalent to £6.4bn Gross Value Added), or have wider benefits through: • 27,000 homes • Acting as a catalyst for the revitalisation of the surrounding area In view of the quantity of mills the scale of the potential • Acting as a focal point for local communities benefits from repurposing mills for new jobs or homes is • Creating jobs, investment, new homes and generating considerable. These statistics underline the importance additional local tax revenues. that partners collaborate to drive forward the regeneration process putting textile mills at the heart of the “Northern Historic England has engaged Cushman & Wakefield Powerhouse” agenda. and Lathams Architects to produce a study to review and develop best practice in the regeneration of West Key challenges facing West Riding Yorkshire’s textile mills. The study has focused on of Yorkshire’s Textile Mills assessing a combination of recently refurbished and currently disused mills across West Yorkshire. The work Securing the economic functionality and purpose of textile has highlighted the scale of the opportunity and the mills is critical to ensuring their conservation. However, wide range of best practice precedents from recent mill many heritage assets, particularly those that are listed, conversion projects. It also underlines that there are a face a number of challenges as a result of high running and number of positive emerging trends which are creating a maintenance costs and constraints affecting the feasibility renewed impetus for regenerating these important assets: and cost of modernisation. Add to this the fact that many such mills are located in traditionally weak market • Market improvement across the residential and locations where occupier and investor demand is subdued, commercial sectors, which is generating increased and it is easy to see why such properties can be viewed as occupier and purchaser demand for all asset classes more of a liability, rather than an asset. including heritage assets; • Growing developer and investor appetite; Textile mills that are not sufficiently cared for and • The devolution agenda which is encouraging local maintained can quickly fall into disrepair and can lower the authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) environmental quality of an area. Such “dead landmarks” to invest in regeneration and growth projects and to can reduce the attractiveness of an area resulting in a implement innovative measures (such as simplified lack of inward investment and growth. Recent experience planning, direct delivery and intervention) to unlock the shows that conversely, integrating historic buildings with delivery of difficult sites and buildings. regeneration schemes can create popular, vibrant urban quarters which can act as a catalyst for investment. The opportunity The key challenges affecting mill regeneration projects are: The West Riding of Yorkshire has a rich heritage in the textile industry with many of its towns and villages once • Occupier demand based around a textile mill. As a consequence there are Some textile mills are located in areas of weak occupier a large number of textile mills across the County, some of demand. As a consequence rental and capital values are which remain in use for industrial purposes, some have modest restricting the viability of mill redevelopment been brought back into use for either commercial or projects residential occupancy, and a great many remain vacant • Structural condition or underused. These buildings generally offer large open Some buildings have been disused for a prolonged period spaces which make them physically capable of being of time which has resulted in deterioration of the fabric brought back into alternative use. and structure of the buildings • Site constraints The scale of the opportunity is vast. There are over 1,500 Many sites experience a number of constraints including remaining textile mills in the West Riding of Yorkshire, of asbestos, difficult topography and flooding issues which at least 150 have been converted and are in use. • Cost of adaptation Therefore there are approximately 1,350 that are either As a result of the above, the costs of adapting mill underused or vacant. Bringing a vacant or under used mill buildings and sites are often higher than that of the of 2,500 sq m (Gross Internal Area) back into productive average building renovation use could generate a significant benefit for the local area. • Risk profile Applying standard densities to this floor area indicates it Because of uncertainties relating to cost, timing, planning could generate: and occupier demand, mill regeneration projects are viewed as high risk ventures by developers and funders. • 115 net additional jobs (equivalent to £4.7million of Gross Value Added per annum), or • 20 new homes Assuming a mill of 2,500 sq m Gross Internal Area to be representative of the average mill size across the West 2 Best practice solutions and New Homes Bonus (for residential uses) • Consideration of innovative leasing structures whereby There are a considerable number of best practice the strength of the public sector’s covenant can be used precedents of mill regeneration projects across the county to generate capital that demonstrate what can be achieved. • Use of public sector’s capacity for borrowing to improve the availability of funds for projects and specifically to Occupier solutions equip the public sector with the necessary resources to • Alignment of assets with occupiers who ‘like’ heritage implement speculative projects. assets, such as creative industries • Link to area based strategy for occupier growth Recommendations • Utilise public sector machinery to incentivise occupiers Taking account of our findings we consider there to be (e.g. business rate or council tax discount) a number of action areas for key stakeholder groups • Promote mixed use on large sites to address in promoting a programme of change and • Encourage a phased transition from textile production facilitating the regeneration process. to multi tenanted and mixed use • Alignment of heritage assets with public sector Historic England accommodation requirements • Create certainty through better planning and historic • Rigorously apply ‘Constructive Conservation’ principles building guidance. to adaptation solutions • Proactive strategy and action plan for mills at risk Design and adaptation solutions in collaboration with the promoters of mill buildings (e.g. developers and property owners) and other key • Enable greater flexibility in the adaptation of buildings stakeholders including partial demolition and new build on site • Create certainty by working with senior officers within • Masterplanning of mill sites local authorities including conservation officers to provide • Promote potential for conversion of mill buildings to clarification of what is needed houses (as an alternative to flats). • The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 aims to make it easier to undertake works that do not affect Cost solutions the special architectural or historic character of listed • Smart cost management buildings. Historic England can create certainty by • Early identification / determination of strategy (prior working with local authority conservation officers to to closure of mill) to avoid period of vacancy and provide clarification of what is needed utilising