Bromham Mill in the medium to long-term
Bromham Mill. Photograph: Louise Brown
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In 2007, the Bromham Millers submitted a successful competitive bid to the County Council for a long lease on Bromham Mill; our name reflects this. Bedford Borough Council then took over as freeholders and since then we have working on negotiating property rights in order to implement the following plans, for which the Borough granted us planning permission.
What we would do
We’d renew and enhance the Mill and the two Barns (listed buildings), in line with best conservation practice.
A new building in keeping with the heritage would replace the old workshop, and we’d refurbish the Mill House. We plan to reconstruct the Back Barn at an angle to allow easier parking on site. The Mill would have a glass-fronted area by the millpond for a café. No other buildings.
About 70 car and coach parking spaces on site would be more than enough to meet morning, afternoon and evening demand, which traffic surveys and modelling showed would not add significantly to local traffic flows at peak times.
Many employees with disabilities would travel to and from the site by minibus, and a sustainable ‘green’ travel policy would minimise the use of cars by other staff.
The Bromham Millers' capital investment and the ventures we run would help to sustain the local economy should the recession continue.
Changes over time
We've consulted widely on our plans, in Bromham and the surrounding villages, and in Bedford and Kempston Towns. Clearly, there's widespread support for milling organic flour, a bakery, and serving 'Tastes of Bedfordshire' in the café. And for the most of the actions, amenities and attractions we propose.
However, it was also clear that we'd caused people in Bromham to worry about heavy traffic around the Mill, visitors parking in nearby streets; about no longer having a quiet, rural amenity; about the risks to the wildlife and the rare plants; about activity close to Millfield.
So we made changes.
In the latter half of 2008, we took out all the ventures that would bring visitors to Bromham in large numbers: the extended range of events on the meadow, the conference centre and the farmers’ market. Under our cut-down plans, the visitor numbers will be much the same as when the Mill was open all week in the 1990s: only a small fraction of the often quoted ‘300,000 a year’.
Conservation officers advised us; they’ve done so all along, to make sure that we'd keep the Mill’s fine heritage qualities; that we'd retain its character and appearance. The Centre for Heritage Policy at York University has helped us to bring in proposed uses that are in total harmony with the heritage, and which will create an amenity for the whole community.
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We’ve taken expert advice that, we contend, should feature in plans for Bromham Mill:
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- trees
- ecology
- landscape
- milling equipment
- impact on traffic
- conservation
Our plans also include detailed flood risk assessment and protection. We’d avoid intrusive noise, and be a good neighbour.
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