HISTORIC mill buildings on the edge of Horsforth are being converted into affordable apartments. REDROW has appointed Leeds-based Dimestage (Construction Company) Ltd to convert the two buildings as part of its Woodlands at Horsforth Vale development. Restoration work has already begun on the old Riverside Mills site, off Low Hall Road. The site is earmarked for 127 new homes and sits alongside redevelopment of the former Clariant Works to form Redrow’s wider Horsforth Vale location. The developer was required to retain the buildings as part of its planning consent. The conversion will create six apartments, which will be offered by a housing association as affordable homes. A wool mill had existed on the Woodlands site since before 1851. Originally known as Rawdon Low Mill, it was latterly known as Riverside Mills and, until 2000, was a dyeing and twisting mill for Colourflex. Chris Donaghy, contracts director for Dimestage, said: "The mills formed a vital part of the area’s history and now, happily, they’ll be a part of its future, providing new affordable homes for local people. The growth and development of areas like Horsforth relied on industry, and it is important that we honour such a crucial role. "Besides which, these mills are fantastic buildings and to have left them to rot and ruin would have been such a shame. It is a great opportunity to be able to preserve them, and exciting when the past and present can be fused together to create something wonderful." He added: "The beauty of these buildings lies very much in the solid, stone exterior. There will be a link between the two apartment buildings, for which we have had to source 190 sq metres of reclaimed Yorkshire stone, native to the area, to ensure it blends in with the original stone work. "We will retain all the detailing on the outside like the window sills and heads, and the corbels - the ornate mouldings - around the gutterline. And, while it will have a very modern and stylish interior, because the walls are so thick the windows will have lovely, deep recesses, and there will be great depth created by the high ceilings." John Handley, commercial director at Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) said: "When you have such heritage in your hands, it is vital that the work is done to an impeccable standard."
Redrow has revealed it will convert two historic mill buildings on the edge of Horsforth into affordable apartments. The developer has appointed Dimestage Construction to convert the two buildings into six apartments to be offered by a housing association as affordable homes. The first phase is expected to start in 2018 and last for five years.