AN HISTORIC mill is being demolished to make way for a new housing development. Local Democracy Reporter JOSEPH TIMAN shares details on the work set to take place and looks back at how the plans came to fruition after years of being in the pipeline.

THE long-awaited demolition of the historic Beehive Mills is finally under way, three years after initial plans were given the nod by councillors.

The former grade-II listed building in Great Lever is being torn down to make way for at least 121 new houses.

Demolition work is expected to take place over the next three months after which groundworks will commence.

The development will be home to 36 two-bedroom, 78 three-bedroom and seven four-bedroom dwellings.

Countryside, the developer behind the plans, is set to give a further update on when the new development is expected to be completed early next year.

The work at the site, which started this summer, followed a fire at the historic mills which broke out on the third floor of the building in May.

Town hall planners waved through the plans days later after the developer agreed to contribute £163,000 towards primary and secondary education in the borough.

Members of the planning committee said the Section 106 contribution seemed too small for a development of that size when The Bolton News informed them that the application was approved by planning officers the day after the local elections.

They had previously refused to grant planning permission for the development because Countryside said it could no longer afford to make financial contributions of more than half a million pounds previously agreed by another developer.

Countryside said it could not afford to make any Section 106 contributions because of "abnormal costs" associated with remediation of the former industrial site.

In addition, no affordable housing is set to be provided at the site, despite initial promises.

The planning committee voted against approving the proposal in December 2018, saying that they refused to be "conned" by the developer.

The developer came back to the council in March with a new offer which was accepted by planning officers in May.

Local councillors were glad that new houses are being built, saying that the total sum offered in the end was "better than nothing".

Cllr Mohammed Ayub welcomed the new development and is pleased that work at the site has now started.

He said: "I know there's a bit of history in the building but it's been vacant for a while. Once the work is completed, the people will welcome it because it was neglected for so long.

"It will be an improvement of the area and it will look brilliant. Economically, it will be a good thing for the area."

Plans for an additional six houses were submitted to the council back in June, a month after the first 121 houses were given the green light.

The extra six houses would be a mix of two and three-bedroom houses, all two storeys in height, according to the application.

It said: “The proposals for the scheme have gone through a process of evolution during the design process.

"Our proposals aim to produce a development that fits in and complements the existing character of the area. High quality, site specific designs produce an interesting and varied street scene creating a distinctive place to live.”

Town hall officers were expected to decide the outcome of the latest application by the end of August.