200-year-old Congleton mill to be demolished

A centuries old mill in Congleton is set to be demolished after Cheshire East Council found the building to be in danger of collapsing.

The 19th-century Bossons Mill, also known as Big Mill or Brook Mill, was found to have become unsafe due to years of neglect and is now being dismantled by contractors.

Having once served as a landmark of Congleton’s rich industrial past, the mill has been empty for the last 20 years. As the property is a Grade II-listed building, Cheshire East consulted with the government’s Historic England heritage service over proposals to demolish the site.

During the first phase of the project, the building’s structure will be dismantled by hand, following which the remaining structure will be brought down mechanically.

The whole project, being undertaken by Tarporley-based DSR Demolition, is due take nearly three months.

Cheshire East Council’s Cabinet member for housing and planning, Cllr Ainsley Arnold, said: “I want to reassure the people of Congleton that Cheshire East was left with no alternative but to take this action for the safety of the town and our residents.

“We have made numerous attempts to persuade the owners, Kitewood, to make this building safe but its ongoing neglect has caused the building to become so dangerous that we have to demolish.“

He added: “I want to reassure our residents that we will explore every avenue to recover all the costs the council is currently faced with.“

Cllr Paul Bates, the authority’s Cabinet member for communities and health, said: “As a Congleton ward member, I am very disappointed that the owners of Bossons Mill, have stood back and allowed this Grade II-listed building to become a dreadful eyesore and a blot on the landscape of the town.

“It is a great pity that a building of this character with its place in the history of Congleton should be lost in this way.“