PLANNERS are expected to give the thumbs up to applications for more mill conversions and more than 250 apartments in Huddersfield.
Councillors on the Huddersfield planning sub-committee are visiting three sites on Thursday - Parkwood Mills, Longwood, Wellington Mills, Lindley, and Holly Bank Road, Lindley.
If approved, the developments would see the creation of a further 279 apartments in the town.
The Parkwood Mills Company Ltd application is to refurbish the listed mill building to create 91 apartments and build 21 dwellings and nine further apartments in the conservation area.
The work would involve demolishing part of the mill at Grove Street.
Planning officers say the proposal represents a balance between retention and redevelopment.
In Lindley, a number of applications have been submitted for the large Wellington Mills site, which includes listed buildings.
It is proposed to demolish some of the buildings on the site.
Carpets International (UK) Ltd and Lanson Developments have applied for permission for 106 new apartments and conversion of an existing building in Plover Road into 21 apartments.
There would also be a small area for business use and a community facility.
And Heritage Lofts Ltd have applied to convert part of the former textile mill into 20 residential units and some office space.
At Holly Bank Road, off Halifax Road, Lindley, George Wimpey has applied to build 32 apartments, adding to an existing residential development.
Speaking about the conversion of former mill sites, planning officer Richard Evans said the council had a policy which encouraged residential development of this kind in the Firth Street area.
But he said there was no specific policy like that for other parts of Huddersfield.
The trend was a spin-off from similar developments in Manchester and Leeds, where land rents were very expensive.
He said: "Huddersfield is becoming a more viable option for developers.
"From a planning point of view, we would need to be satisfied that the industrial units could not be used for industry because of the job opportunities."
He said as many of the former mills were now close to residential areas they were not ideal for industrial use.
Dewsbury is also cashing in on the apartment culture and plans to turn a Dewsbury mill into flats and houses have been given the go-ahead.
CALA Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd has been given planning consent to transform Batley Carr Mill into 212 homes - comprising 16 studio apartments, 171 one and two-bedroom flats and 25 three, four and five-bedroom homes.
Sales and marketing director Jacky Banyard said the development would retain and refurbish key historical features, including a war memorial, the clock and bell and the mill chimney.
Building work is expected to begin next spring with the first properties coming on to the market in the summer.
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