Addingham representatives have met with officials from development company Bellway Homes over the future of the former wool scouring plant at Low Mill.

Bellway wants to convert the historic mill building into apartments and build other houses and flats making a total of 80 homes on the site.

Although broadly sympathetic to the idea of housing on that site, Addingham parish councillors have expressed reservations about the scale of the proposed development.

They told the Gazette they were resigned to Low Mill's conversion to housing because they did not believe an acceptable employment use could be found for it in the future.

Parish Council chairman Gordon Campbell has held a meeting with representatives of Bellway and Wool Direct, the company which owns the mill.

He said: "We expressed our concerns with regard to the design and scale as well as environmental and ecological effect. We discussed affordable housing and the overall effect on the infrastructure of Addingham village such as the school and traffic.

"They indicated they were very sympathetic to our concerns and were quite happy to negotiate."

The developers will have further discussions with Bradford Council officers and if they agree, will attend a village meeting where residents will be able to bring up their worries about the proposed development.

"The meeting will be open to all the villagers not just the residents of Low Mill. It will probably take place in about six weeks," Coun Campbell said.