A lone tower on an windswept industrial estate in Salford is the last remnant of the Grade II-listed Springfield and Overbridge mill.
The stair tower is the only section left of the four-storey cotton spinning mill, built in 1845.
But developers can now pull it down after Salford City Council granted their application last week for a new 151-space car park.
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In 2011 the vacant mill suffered a devastating fire (sound familiar, anyone?) that engulfed two entire floors of what was left of the building.
At the peak of the fire, almost exactly five years ago today, 50 firefighters were forced to battle the intense blaze, which destroyed part of the roof and ended any hope that it could be restored.
The empty wasteland is now used as car parking for some of the many industrial distributors and businesses nearby.
The mill itself was Grade listed in November 1966 for its impressive structure, with cast-iron columns and transverse brick arches.
Here it is, derelict in 2013, just months before it collapsed entirely.
Before demolition in February 2013 – Michael Johnson/Historic England
The water tower, the only part of the building left – Michael Johnson/Historic England
The 1845 sign – Michael Johnson/Historic England
The dirty and overflowing courtyard – Michael Johnson/Historic England
The building was de-listed by Heritage England in April 2015, which means the stair tower is effectively an undesignated heritage asset, and afforded less planning protection.
The car park is due to remain in place for three years to serve a number of existing local businesses.
The applicants, Salford-based chartered architects Tang and Associates Ltd say in their planning documents: “The area around the site is highly commercialised, with a large number of commercial premises of widely varying types, ranging from wholesale warehouses to fast-food outlets.
“As a result, the area is visited by large numbers of people on a daily basis, and the lack of formal parking space is evident. Even a cursory investigation of the area will show a great deal of street parking (much of which is illegal).
They say, and Salford council agreed, that it was clear the former mill had “lost most of its significance” following the collapse of the majority of the building, and “makes a limited contribution to the character of the city”.
It’s understood a car park operator has already been chosen.
Main image: Mill tower by Andrew Simpson
