How Middleton’s revival could be grist to the mill for Britain’s struggling towns
Rochdale council has taken control of the derelict Grade II-listed Warwick Mill in Middleton, near Manchester, as part of a new plan to reverse the town’s economic decline.
The former Grade II-listed cotton mill, which once powered the town’s economy, has been wrestled from the hands of an absentee Chinese owner by Rochdale council. The site, now a magnet for urban explorers, is at the centre of ambitious plans to transform Middleton.
The project is led by Middleton Co-operating, a group that includes actor Steve Coogan and Rose Marley, the chief executive of Co-operatives UK. The initiative aims to rewire the local economy by bringing infrastructure and essential services into public control.
Residents and business owners will have a seat at the table, with a survey of 2,000 Middletonians shaping the agenda. The group has already won £4.5m in funding from the national lottery’s solidarity fund.
A town in crisis
Middleton is a town of about 50,000 people that has lost its banks and high street character. A giant Tesco opened in 2013, while online shopping has further eroded the local retail offer.
The town’s geographic identity is also muddled. Historically in Lancashire, it now has a Manchester postcode and dial code, but residents pay their council tax to Rochdale. The region’s tram network does not stop here.
The town centre now offers little more than bookmakers, vape stores, pawnbrokers and fast-food outlets. Residents say the area is a 'dying town' with few services and a single cash machine at a Tesco.
Community-led plans
The group’s plans include using renewable energy to power a secondary school and a hospice. A trial involving heat pumps and solar panels on a terrace of Edwardian homes is also being put together.
Banks could soon return too, with plans for a banking hub where Lloyds, NatWest and others could open on different days of the week. The group also wants to expand into food production, early years support, and adult social care.
The group argues that services owned by big business and private equity are too expensive and a cause of stress in the community. Its aim is to empower residents rather than have them rely on charity.
The mill’s future
The council’s move to take control of Warwick Mill is a key step in the project. The mill is an 'utter wreck' and could cost tens of millions of pounds to bring back to life.
Property firm Capital & Centric, led by co-founder Tim Heatley, is working on the conversion. The firm previously renovated the dilapidated Weir Mill in Stockport.
“Warwick is absolutely colossal and has loomed over Middleton for more than a century. If we can fill it with life again, it has the potential to become an anchor for the town.”
The challenge now is turning the momentum into an actual place, getting Warwick fixed up, full of people and properly part of Middleton again. The project aims to be completed before Burnham’s next career move.
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