LETTER: Mill demolition would be vandaliam

If the owners of this mill and the council get their way, yet another historic building will be demolished, so erasing the last vision of what Colne is known for.

I am sure there aren’t many families that are born and bred in Colne which don’t have past and present members who earned a living in many of the cotton mills.

I, for one, can thank my late parents and grandparents for a wonderful childhood due to their employment in the cotton mills of Colne. Yes, conditions were hard, the pay poor but they had employment, unlike today.

I am very proud of my parents’ professions – mum a cotton weaver, dad a boilerman, and I will pass all this information about the mills of Colne on to my grandchildren as part of their past heritage, especially my granddaughters born in Australia who will possibly never see “the mill of Colne” if this proposal goes ahead.

I, personally, would be saddened to see this historic mill flattened to make way for a new housing development when Colne has an abundance of empty housing stock already and a half built site situated in the South Valley rotting away that is an eyesore to the residents that have bought new homes there.

I would hope there could be a compromise and at least some of the buildings saved to make amends for the past vandalism that has been done by the council to our Bonnie Colne.

CAROLE ENGLAND

Harrison Drive, Colne