A COMMUNITY project that has gained national recognition is ploughing ahead with plans to further transform a historic Leigh mill.
Formerly one of the largest cotton mills in the country and possibly the only double-fronted mill in Europe, Leigh Spinners Mill is a world away from its former use and currently houses 65 independent businesses under its century-old roof.
This is nowhere near the end of the mill's transformation, however, with 20 more organisations set to take up space at the fifth and final floor of Mill 2, which is currently under construction, and a long-term plan to regenerate the neighbouring Mill 1 in just the same way.
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With the manufacturing arm of the mill kept alive by carpet and turf makers, Leigh Spinners Ltd, the regeneration project began in 2014 as the Leigh Building Preservation Trust (LBPT) began renting out space to local organisations.
The project picked up pace after former Leigh MP Jo Platt was appointed as the LBPT General Manager in 2020, and the team was able to acquire funding streams to restore many of the building's dilapidated features.
Balancing the mill's restoration work with an increasing number of tenants, the LBPT has managed to revive the mill floor by floor and foster a community atmopshere by offering affordable rents to a range of local businesses.
With the transformation of Mill 2 - built after Mill 1 in 1923 - almost complete, the former cotton mill has become a vibrant hub as a range of businesses such as a music studio, art gallery, independent cinema, museum, gym, and record shop, now take up space at the building.
And after working on a "shoestring budget", the LBPT has also been recognised for their transformative work with a ‘Community-Based Social Enterprise Award’ nomination this month, after being shortlisted from hundreds of entrants.
Speaking about the progress and transformation of Spinners Mill, General Manager Jo Platt said: "It has been tough to get where we are today, because with such an old building, there are so many things that can go wrong.
"But every now and then, we take a step back and walk around the mill and you always get the feeling that this is an amazing thing.
"There are obviously still things we can improve, but to see the progress we have made and to receive outside recognition shows we are doing something right."
As four floors are currently occupied in Mill 2, construction work is currently ongoing on the mill's fifth and final floor as training providers, psychotherapists, costume manufacturers and more are lined up to rent the future space.
And with a waiting list of 40 businesses looking to take up space at the mill, the LBPT team will then set their sights on the redevelopment of Mill 1 to offer even more space to local businesses and cement the mill's transformation as a fully-utilised cooperative.
Ms Platt added: "The reason why the mill is such a success is because we are able to offer cheap rent for space that businesses need.
"There is a long waiting list but I think as current tenants grow, they will outgrow their space here, and then the Mill becomes a sort of 'circle of life', where we support local businesses, they sustain us with rent, and they grow and leave to potentially bigger things.
"We have a blueprint of what to do and what not to do with Mill 1, so we will only start to offer tenant space once all the necessary work is completed."
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