THE engine room at the Grade II* Leigh Spinners Mill has been handed over to a trust after they secured funding from several organisations.

The Leigh Building Preservation Trust has announced that they have reached the point where they can start the restoration of the largest unrestored steam engine in the UK which is housed in the Manchester Road mill.

The Leigh Spinners Mill was one of the last mills ever built in the UK with Mill Number One constructed in 1913 and Mill Number Two in 1923/5.

The engine to Number Two Mill has remained in situ and is intact having been last operated in 1973 during the miners’ strike.

It is now known that the engine is in excellent condition and is capable of restoration and the LBPT has been secured by a grant of a lease from the Leigh Spinners Ltd.

This will be a 25 year lease at a token rent but is intended to be only the first stage of a wider transaction which will ultimately see the LBPT take ownership of the mill retaining Leigh Spinners as an anchor tenant in order to secure the long term future of the building.

Leigh MP Andy Burnham, a LBPT board member, said: “I have been supporting the project to preserve the Leigh Spinners Mill and to retain the existing jobs within the company for many years and I am delighted to be able to announce that much hard work and determination has now paid off.

“I would like to thank the Trust and the funding partners for their support which will make this project happen.”

LBPT has secured a £75,000 grant from WREN, £50,000 from English Heritage and £18,750 from Wigan Council with support also being offered by the Leigh Spinners Company who still operate in part of the building.

The project has secured extensive support from the community with a Friends of Leigh Spinners with 720 members.

The current resources will secure the building against the likelihood of the roof collapsing and will be an essential first phase.