Could £4.5m grant to developer kickstart stalled plans for Belper Mills?

PLANS TO REGENERATE SITE AT HEART OF THE WORLD HERITAGE SITE HAVE NOT MOVED ON IN EIGHT YEARS

- By EDDIE BISKNELL Local democracy reporter

An artist's impression of what the completed scheme could look like

THE developer behind long-stalled plans to regenerate an historic Derbyshire mill complex could be given £4.5 million to kickstart the scheme.

New funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority for brownfield housing sites could see the organisation give £4.5 million to the Belper Mills project, which has been in limbo for eight years.

It has announced the intended grant subject to a business case from owners FI Real Estate Management.

The listing from the combined authority suggests the £4.5 million could be used to create 130 homes on the site, in the centre of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site.

This would be an increase to the plans filed eight years ago by the owners to Amber Valley Borough Council which detail 117 homes and a range of other facilities.

FI Real Estate Management filed its plans with the borough council eight years ago but the authority has yet to make a decision on the scheme in what is a highly unusual situation for developers and councils.

Typically, councils decide planning applications in a few months if it is a major scheme, and even longer-term plans leaning on intensive cooperation are usually decided after two or three years.

Councils would usually be take to appeal by developers for “determination” and Amber has also voiced various threa application over those eig indicating less than candid between the two parties.

This includes the count. ening to reject the scheme due lack of information, suggesting would compulsory purchase th. property off the developer and serve various legally mandated repair notices.