By John Baron
A dilapidated former mill complex is set to be auctioned on the open market – five years after the council first proposed selling it.
St Ann’s Mills, off Commercial Road, is a former woollen mill built in the 1830s and bought by Leeds City Council in 1970 with the intention of developing it as part of a new riverside park.
Disposal of the building by the cash-strapped council was originally proposed back in 2020 and was formally earmarked for sale in the 2022-23 financial year.
This week a council report has given the green light to selling the site as a redevelopment opportunity at public auction.
The report said: “Latterly the building has fallen into disrepair and without significant investment it is incapable of being brought back into the investment portfolio as an income generating asset.
“It is recommended that the property be disposed of in the open market as a redevelopment opportunity.”
In 2016 Kirkstall Valley Development Trust had hoped to develop St Ann’s Mills as a potential location for the first Centre for Alternative Technology in England, but funding proved elusive.
The council report said the auction would take place within the 2025/26 financial year and added: “Redevelopment would also reinvigorate the area and enable St Ann’s Mill to make a positive contribution to the thriving local economy.”
Follow WLD’s coverage of St Ann’s Mills here.
WLD has been following the council’s financial difficulties – and its impact in West Leeds – through our Cutswatch series.
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I wonder if this Mill will be converted into additional housing units or business premises for the Kirkstall Valley Forge long term project.
I’ve seen some similar nackered and broken former Mills in north Yorkshire villages which have been retained, cleaned up, had interiors converted into mixed use residential/house/commercial/community sites.
It’s always good to build more homes and build Leeds into a economic juggernaut with housing fit for young people like me to afford, while also ensuing our Yorkshire Heritage and history of how our ancestors broke their backs and lungs working in’t Dark Satanic mills at places like St’ Anne’s-
So I hope that the building itself can be retained and it’s insides repaired and exterior extended. Could even add a plaque or info board with Leeds Libraries or Yorkshire Evening Post Archive to get olden days photos when the Mill was open.
This way its a better more desirable site and walking area for nearby people to be eniruaged to see the great outdoors and a insight into where Leeds came from. A sign/info board would be good for dogwalkers hikers and bikers and kids to read and adds a bit of local culture to what can sometimes be, somewhat spartan and un-beautified new development blocks.
I hope it sells for a load of money too cos Leeds City Council needs the money to help look after our grandparents and kids social care. It is so expensive but London doesn’t give LCC the capital they need to get things improving and to create economies of scale to cut costs.
In particular I’m thinking of a recent development at Glasshouses, near Pætley Bridge.
Old mill, next to a river, was converted into new housing mixed family/couple apartments using local Yorkstone, and included an info board at the front near the village mainstreet about what the Mill was used for industrially before it was turned into Mill Housing.
They kept the same structure and even the same bell from’t Victorian Era (which was used t’ tell workers when their shifts were done) the housong developer smashed down the interiors, and created a nice number of modern homes while retaining the aesthetic and exterior and surrounding heritage of the area. Keeps these beautiful older buildings alive, just with new roles. It’s like a rebirth of what used to be decayed graffiti’d smashed windows bombsites, into genuinely nice places with heritage, beauty, affordability, and historic culture all balanced to create the homes Leeds & Yorkshire Needs.
Manufacturing Site -> Derelict -> Rebuilt as Residential homes.
I would love to see something similar here for this hugely exciting and very profit-opportunity pro community St Anne’s Mill development .
Finally;
If any interested bidders or developers are reading this, please put in a high bid on the auction cos you will make a lot of money from it, so can you be fair and pay Leeds City Council a good initial sum?
We need money from selling off Council owned assets to help Leeds people and keep taxes down.
And it’s opportunity for you to highlight thy Business’ Corporate Social Community Responsibility. Cheers.