Experts welcome support for Flax Mill redevelopment bid
Leading experts from across the world have welcomed the news that a bid for £12.1m of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to support the regeneration of Shrewsbury’s historic Flax Mill Maltings has secured initial support and will receive development funding of £465,300.
The bid was submitted by a partnership including Shropshire Council, English Heritage and the Friends of the Flax Mill Maltings.
Amongst those welcoming the Heritage Lottery Fund announcement are Sir Neil Cossons, former Chairman of English Heritage; Richard Coackley, President of the Institution of Civil Engineers; Angela Brady, President of the Royal Institute of British Architects; and Robert M. Vogel, Curator Emeritus at the National Museum of American History in Washington DC.
Built on the north edge of Shrewsbury, the internationally-important Ditherington Flax Mill Maltings site reflects a time when Britain led the way in engineering innovation. It comprises seven listed buildings, including the Main Mill – built in 1797 – which is the oldest iron-framed building in the world and the forerunner of the modern skyscraper.
A second round bid will be submitted to Heritage Lottery Fund within the next 18 months in the hope of securing a further £11,686,000 of funding, which would be put towards the redevelopment of the site, and bring back into use some of the main historic buildings.
Welcoming the HLF announcement, Sir Neil Cossons, former Chairman of English Heritage, said:
“The Ditherington Flax Mill is one of the nation’s hidden gems, a building known and valued throughout the world for its outstanding importance, yet for years neglected and under threat of loss. It is one of the great symbols of Britain’s emergence as the world’s first industrial nation and of the role that Shropshire played in that revolution. We have a duty to the wider world to secure the Flax Mill for tomorrow and this support from the Heritage Lottery Fund is an outstanding means of achieving just that.”
If the full £12.1m is secured, it would be put towards the first phase of the redevelopment of the site, which aims to restore and bring back into use some of the main historic buildings on the site – including the Main Mill, the Kiln, the Dye and Stove House and the Office and Stables. The site would be opened up as a centre for learning, enterprise, culture and leisure for its third century of productive us.
Chris Smith, English Heritage’s National Planning Director, said:
“The Ditherington Flax Mill is one of the most significant monuments of the Industrial Revolution – an outstanding structure that changed the world of construction and design. With the vital help of the HLF, we are now one step closer to bringing the site and its buildings back into use so once again, they can be a thriving local resource, bringing new life to the surrounding area.”
Alan Mosley, Shropshire Councillor for Castlefields and Ditherington, and Chair of the Friends of the Flax Mill Maltings, said:
“This is tremendous news and we are proud of the role we have played in making it happen. We now have the money to develop our capacity so that we can do even more in providing restoration, access, community involvement, learning and a whole range of activities which will bring these wonderful buildings to life again. We also look forward to taking a leading role in ensuring success in the next phase which will truly protect the heritage and rejuvenate the area. Many thanks go to all the volunteers and others whose enthusiasm and efforts have achieved so much.”
English Heritage acquired the derelict buildings in 2005, and has since been working with Shropshire Council, the Friends of the Flax Mill Maltings, architects Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, and the Homes and Communities Agency to find a new use for the site. The goal is to create a long-term future for the historic buildings and for the community of which they have so long been a part.
