THE serving of a repairs notice on the owner of part of the former Fox’s woollen mill in Wellington has been welcomed by town councillor John Thorne.

The notice means the owner of the grade 2* listed buildings has to carry out an estimated £1 million of work or risk the council doing it and then recovering the costs through the courts.

Cllr Thorne said he was pleased to see the Deane council finally using its legal powers to start preserving some of Britain’s most important listed industrial buildings.

But he said more still needed to be done as large parts of the old mill site near Weavers Reach were just as endangered but were not receiving the same protection.

He said: “The notice issued by the Deane relates to the buildings along Milverton Road, opposite the Lowmoor industrial estate.

“It was necessary because I believe a large pot of money will become available from a planned housing development nearby which can be spent on turning the site into a museum once it has been saved.

“But I have been campaigning for urgent action to rescue what I consider to be the more visually important mill buildings next to Thunderbridge Fields, off Weavers Reach.

“Now that the Deane has shown some courage with the repairs notice in Milverton Road, I hope they will follow through and do what is also necessary at Weavers Reach.”