TWO historic mills deemed at risk of decay have been given grants totalling more than £200,000 to help secure their future.

Historic England is giving the grants to Dalton Mills in Keighley and the Waterloo Mill Engine House in Silsden, which are both Grade II* listed.

But both buildings will remain on the organisation’s Heritage at Risk Register until repairs are complete and their future secured.

They are among 32 buildings, monuments and conservation areas across the Bradford district which remain at risk of neglect or decay, according to the 2016 register, which is published today.

The register also includes Bradford Synagogue, part of Lister Mills, Leventhorpe Hall and New Hall in Bradford, Low Mills and the gardens of Whinburn Hall in Keighley, the battleground of Adwalton Moor near Drighlington, eight churches, four monuments and 11 conservation areas.

In June, Historic England published a report calling for old mills to be given new uses to save them from dereliction, including the textile mills which shaped the towns and cities of West Yorkshire.

Craig McHugh, of Historic England, visited Dalton Mills yesterday.

He said: “There are over 1,000 mills which are underused or vacant in West Yorkshire.

“These buildings have tremendous potential and there is a lot to be gained from restoring them.

“If we’re not bringing such old buildings back into use then we’re instead developing on green field sites, which is never popular.”

Dalton Mills was once the largest textile mill in the region, employing more than 2,000 workers in worsted production. It was built by Joseph Craven in 1869.

The new £88,000 grant will comprise half of the money soon to be spent on fixing the structure of the central part of Genappe Mill, which fronts onto Dalton Lane, and also on renovating the water tower.

Mr McHugh said the quality and architectural significance of Dalton Mills compared well with Salts Mill in Saltaire and Lister Mills in Manningham.

“It is one of the best examples of a textile mill in our region,” he added.

“The owners have already spent a considerable sum on the building and I take my hat off to them.

“It is a major challenge but the Tower part of the mill is fully let and while repairs have been ongoing in other parts of the building they’ve managed to find ways to keep those areas in use and attract some income.

“It’s good to seem them animating the building through hosting events or using it for filming, as properties left empty for too long are vulnerable to vandalism or problems such as leaking pipes.

“Dalton Mills is still on the At Risk register, as we do need to see the main repairs completed and to get back to a position of permanent occupation of the mill.”

Laura Bacon, marketing manager for the company which owns the mill complex, Bellissimo, welcomed the funding.

She said: “It is really important that we get the central part of Genappe Mill fixed, as we can’t get more commercial tenants until we’ve got this part of the building sorted out.

“Work should start next month and will take 12 to 16 weeks, weather permitting.”

Silsden’s Waterloo Mill Engine House, which is owned by a commercial company, will get £130,000 to support repairs.

It was constructed in the 1860s, but a new engine house was added in 1916 to accommodate a Scott & Hodgson steam engine, which last powered the looms in 1977.

Most of these engines were sold for scrap when they became redundant, and the Waterloo Mill engine is now the sole survivor of its type.