Plans to reduce a Grade II Listed chimney at a historic former mill site in Farnley have been submitted by developers.
Work is already under way to transform parts of the former Stonebridge Mills site into a £25m housing development featuring 112 homes. The ambitious development is being carried out by Advent Developments alongside Rushbond PLC and Caddick Construction.
Now developers have applied to reduce the height of the landmark 30-metre high chimney by six metres.
A planning statement accompanying the application said ‘health and safety’ reasons were behind the plan to reduce the height of the chimney. The statement said:
“The upper part of the chimney is unstable and the works are required for health and safety reasons.”
The plans can be viewed in full here.
Stonebridge Mills played a key role in the development of Farnley and Wortley, dating back to the early 1800s when the water-powered woollen mill was a focal point of the local community.
Despite being in some form of industrial use for around 150 years, the site has been derelict for many years, with the mill buildings, some of which are Grade II Listed, falling into disrepair.
Work started two years ago on a £25 million housing project to regenerate the site, with the development called Stonebridge Beck.
The high-profile semi-rural site, off Stonebridge Lane and the Ring Road, was once the subject of plans by supermarket giants Tesco for a new store.
