The Growth and Economy Committee met to discuss updates on the Growth Strategy, a proposal for a Rural Regeneration Fund, and options for the redevelopment of redundant mills in Leek and Biddulph. The committee received a presentation on the Rural Regeneration Fund and a review of options for the redundant mills, and discussed next steps for both. They also received an update on the Growth Strategy implementation.

Redundant Mills in Leek and Biddulph

The committee received a presentation on the review of options for the development of redundant mills in Leek and Biddulph. The review, undertaken by Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), considered current planning policies, market demand, viability, and delivery, and offered recommendations for how the mills should be prioritised and what their best potential use might be.

Leek Mills

Six mills in Leek were identified as priorities due to their historic value, level of risk, or location in key sites:

• London Mill (Ashbourne Road): Grade II listed and in a conservation area, with planning permission for conversion to 34 flats.
• Cross Street Mill: Grade II listed and in a conservation area, partly occupied with limited parking.
• Well Street Mill: Grade II listed and in a conservation area, with planning permission under consideration for 17 apartments and limited parking.
• York Mill: In a conservation area, unoccupied with no planning history.
• Big Mill: Grade II listed and in a conservation area, unoccupied with planning permission for 55 flats under consideration, and considered a building at risk.
• London Mill (London Street): Neither listed nor in a conservation area, with outline approval from 2016 for demolition and residential development.

LSH consulted with Staffordshire County Council, the Chamber of Commerce, residential and commercial agents, and landowners. Landowners expressed interest in redeveloping the mills, but viability issues were a concern. Agents noted a healthy residential market and a strong independent commercial market, but also highlighted the challenges of converting listed or historic mill buildings.

The review concluded that residential conversion was the most sustainable and beneficial use, with demand for one and two-bed apartments for private sale or shared ownership. The priorities in heritage terms were identified as:

1. Big Mill Grade II listed, CA, vacant and building at risk
2. London Mill (Ashbourne Road) Grade II listed, CA, vacant
3. Cross Street Mill Grade II listed, CA and partially occupied
4. York Mill CA and vacant
5. Well St Mill CA and vacant
6. London Mill NDHA and vacant

The review recommended several actions:

• Retain planning support for conversion of the mills to residential use.
• Consider a Compulsory Purchase Order¹ (CPO) as a last resort to secure public ownership of the buildings.
• Develop an Area Action Plan² (AAP) for the cluster of mills on Well Street, Cross Street, York Street and London Mill to address common constraints such as parking and amenity space.
• Set up a Leek Mill Task Force with key business stakeholders, landowners, and public agencies.
• Place all vacant mills on the council's brownfield register³.

Biddulph Mills

Three surviving mills were identified in Biddulph:

• Albion Mill: Neither listed nor in a conservation area, with lapsed planning permission for demolition and construction of nine houses.
• Minster Mill: Neither listed nor in a conservation area, currently occupied by a range of commercial uses and designated for 57 dwellings in conjunction with Yarn Mill.
• Yarn Mill: Neither listed nor in a conservation area, currently occupied by an army surplus store and designated for 57 dwellings in conjunction with Minster Mill.

LSH consulted with Staffordshire County Council, the Chamber of Commerce, residential and commercial agents, and landowners. The commercial market in Biddulph was described as weak, with declining demand on the high street. There was a consensus that conversion to commercial use or mixed-use development would be suitable, but viability issues would need to be addressed.

The review recommended considering the conversion of the mills to commercial use to revitalise the town centre, or to residential use to meet rental demand. It also suggested placing vacant mills on the council's brownfield register or the newly emerging brownfield passport, and considering the application of a Local Development Order⁴ (LDO) to help set a planning framework for the mills.

Next Steps

The committee discussed the next steps for both Leek and Biddulph mills:

Leek Mills:

• Prioritise Big Mill due to its listed status and being a building at risk, and engage with the owner to understand the delay in seeking planning consent.
• Engage with owners of Well Street, York Street, and Cross Street mills to understand their appetite for development.
• Engage with the developers at London Mill to understand the timeframe for delivery of apartments and any lessons learned.
• Engage with the owner of London Mill on London Street to assess their appetite for redevelopment.
• Engage with all possible sources of funding to understand restrictions on applicants and eligibility.

Biddulph Mills:

• Engage with the agent for Minster Mill to understand timescales for submission of a planning application and delivery.
• Explore options to work with Yarn Mill to make the scheme more viable.
• Engage with all possible sources of funding to understand restrictions on applicants and eligibility.

Rural Regeneration Fund

The committee received a presentation on a proposal for a Rural Regeneration Fund, which would provide grants to organisations for projects that attract visitors and residents to town and village centres. The fund would be available to parish and town councils, as well as constituted voluntary and community organisations. Grants from £500 to £4,000 could be applied for, with applicants expected to raise between 20% and 50% of the total project cost from other sources. The funding pot would be £30,000 per annum for 2026/27 and 2027/28.

Eligible projects could include:

• Improving public display boards and signage
• Part-funding shop front grant schemes managed by parish and town councils
• Production and promotion of local walking and cycling trail maps
• Improvements to the accessibility of high streets and visitor attractions for disabled visitors and residents
• Small-scale environmental tidy-ups of public green spaces
• Part-funding for creative and heritage events accessible to the public

Proposals would be assessed against themes such as improving signage, supporting events, improving accessibility, and improvements to parks and green spaces. They would also be assessed against deliverability criteria such as timescales, level of match funding, and value for money.

Recommendations for approval would be made by regeneration officers, and decisions would be made by the Portfolio Holder(s) for Regeneration & Planning and Leisure & Tourism.

Growth Strategy Implementation Update

The committee received a report detailing the progress made with the implementation of the Growth Strategy. There was no substantive planning update as no Local Plan Steering Group had taken place since the last Growth and Economy Committee meeting. The report included updates on various projects, including:

• Biddulph Wharf Road: Discussions with potential developers regarding the housing allocation.
• Tunstall Road Masterplan: Liaison with Planning Policy as part of the Local Plan Review to consider reviewing the allocation in the Local Plan review.
• Leek Cornhill: Liaison with developer regarding expected start on site, and a refresh of the masterplan for the area.
• Blythe Vale: Jointly commissioning a technical report with Staffordshire County Council to explore opportunities for housing growth in the Blythe Vale area alongside the Fifty500 initiative.
• Cheadle Masterplan: Masterplan refresh in motion.
• Market Improvements (LUF): Thom Bateman 'Nanny J's' due to open, and an events timetable throughout Autumn to Christmas.
• Nicholson Institute improvements: Refurbishment works to start at the end of September 2025, and UKSPF funding to restore the mural with work starting early September.
• Cheadle Town Centre: Regeneration Team attending Cheadle Town Council meeting on 8 September.
• Development of Cheadle Market: Feasibility/Design commission in motion.
• Biddulph Town Centre Masterplan: Planned engagement with Biddulph Town Council to consider an updated Town Centre Masterplan.
• Ball Haye Green: Liaison with Assets regarding engagement with the landowner, but no positive response as yet.
• UKSPF Local Investment Plan 2025-26: Total budget for 25/26 of £1,244,581, including Rural Funds.
• Moorlands Partnership Board: Next meeting 17 November, with a budget of £50,000 for 2025/26.
• Empty Property Strategy: Updated Empty Property Strategy scheduled for Resources Overview and Scrutiny Panel on 24 September.
• Review of the options for the development of redundant mills in Leek and Biddulph: Discussed at this meeting.
• Strategic review to increase the supply of affordable and supported housing: Local Partnerships review nearing completion, scheduled for Growth and Economy Committee in autumn.
• Consider the options for the Leek Moorlands House site to support the accommodation review: Accommodation Review Working Group met on 1 September 2020.
• Facilitate a Staffordshire Moorlands Tourism Partnership: Next TPF meeting is in September (date TBC).
• Develop an Accommodation Acceleration Plan in partnership with Staffordshire County Council: Item on the agenda for 10 September Service Delivery, with Adam Gough attending to present findings.
• Review and refresh current business engagement activities: Business support programme in place for 25/26 using UKSPF, consisting of five programmes.
• Skills: Programme funded by UKSPF with three strands, with a budget of £280,000.
• Strengthen relationships with the district's large employers: Research completed on key local businesses.
• Maintain membership of the Staffordshire Moorlands Chambers of Commerce: Principal Officer (Economic Development) attends regular meetings with the Chamber.
• Work with SCC via the Staffordshire Moorlands Growth Board: Board met on 31 July 2025, with updates provided on LUF, Cheadle Town Centre, and Blythe Vale.
• Engage with town and parish councils to establish new Town Centre & Locality Partnerships: Parish Cluster meetings throughout July, August, and September.
• Utilise the capacity of the Council's controlled company Alliance Norse to support project delivery: Alliance Norse are supporting delivery of major capital projects (LUF) through technical advice.
• Develop a comprehensive investment prospectus for potential investors and developers: Tender document prepared to commission a prospectus.