Trouble at mill Campaign to halt demolition of historic site

The wooded banks of the River Lemon, which tumbles through the town of Newton Abbot from the heights of Dartmoor, have long been a hive of activity, the site of corn and wool mills and tanneries that have employed thousands of people over the centuries.

- Steven Morris

But demolition crews are about to clear a collection of mill buildings and make way for housing, despite an outcry from local people and national conservation organisations, who argue the historic structures should be saved and repurposed.

The National Trust and Save Britain's Heritage are among a host of bodies that say it would be better on cultural and environmental grounds to preserve and convert the buildings rather than raze them. Campaigners are also worried that the loss of Bradley Lane Mills will endanger wildlife, including bats that roost in five of the buildings, swifts that nest there and eels that live in the mill leat (watercourse) running through the plot.

Teignbridge district council, which owns the site, is accused of rushing through the demolition, scheduled to begin on Monday, because it needs to use money allocated from the government's future high streets fund quickly to avoid losing it.