A PUSH from Historic England for mills to be converted into homes has been backed in Bradford.

The organisation publishes a report today, Engines of Prosperity: New Uses for Old Mills, calling for developers, mill owners and public bodies to work together to maximise the potential of the historic buildings in West Yorkshire.

Drummond Mill in Manningham; Prospect Mills in Thornton and Low Mills and Dalton Mills in Keighley, are four of eight sites Historic England believes could accommodate around 27,000 homes.

It appointed property consultants Cushman & Wakefield and architects Lathams to research potential conversion sites - but two of the local mills highlighted have recently been affected by fires.

Drummond Mill was destroyed by a blaze in January and Prospect Mill suffered fires in November 2015 and 2011.

Low Mills is Grade II listed and was built in 1779 - it is the oldest cotton mill in Yorkshire.

Large parts of the Dalton Mills have already been converted into offices and a dance studio but the former cotton mill, known as New Mill, still has vacant areas.

Historic England planning director for Yorkshire Trevor Mitchell said: "These textile mills are the original Northern Powerhouse and a great resource for the future.

"They still shape our skyline and are providing new spaces for the creative and digital industries as well as housing for the 21st Century. We want to work with partners willing to find creative solutions to bring new uses to these old mills to secure their future."

The report also highlights Salts Mill, Saltaire, and Victoria Mills, Shipley, as good examples of mill conversions.

The Telegraph & Argus has called for brownfield sites, such as mills, to be redeveloped in its Save Our Green Spaces campaign - a suggestion backed by local politicians.

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Bradford Council’s portfolio holder for regeneration, said: “Bradford has some fantastic mill buildings which have yet to realise their full potential and we share the report’s concerns and desire to bring these buildings back into productive use. Officers from the council have assisted with the research for the report and we hope that it will highlight the wonderful architecture in the districts mills and the business opportunities that could be realised.

“Bradford has a good track record of bringing mills back into use with Manningham Mills and Victoria Mills, Shipley being national examples.

“We will continue to work closely with our partners to promote these opportunities and see the mills making a contribution to life in the district again.”

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Councillor John Pennington, Bradford’s Conservative Party spokesman for regeneration, added: "I think it’s an excellent idea, we have lost too many mills and they are a huge opportunity for regeneration."

The Liberal Democrat spokesman for regeneration, Councillor Councillor Dominic Fear, welcomed using "brownfield sites better to meet the needs of the community."

Stephen McManus, the chairman of the Bradford Property Forum, welcomed the report, but said developers could be reluctant to take on such projects.

“It’s a good idea to bring the mills back to life, but the problem is the cost of doing them up," he said.

“It would be a struggle to get a private developer to do it because it would not make a profit. The cost of converting them will outweigh the financial gain for developers.”

Councillor Richard Dunbar (Lab), whose Thornton ward includes Prospect Mill, said: “We welcome the report and would hope the owner of Prospect Mill would engage in a dialogue with partners on how this increasing eyesore is brought back into use whether this be on a residential, commercial or mixed use level."