Derelict mill destroyed in fire to be demolished

A historical derelict mill badly damaged in a suspected arson attack will be demolished.

Hermitage Mill, in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was set ablaze in the early hours in March 2022, with 20 fire crews attending. Three teenagers were arrested on suspicion of arson and later bailed.

Most of the upper storeys were pulled down for safety reasons, and demolition plans have now been approved by Mansfield District Council for the remaining parts of the Grade II-listed building.

The application from Walker Homes Ltd states the site on Hermitage Lane could be used for development in the future.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said planning documents state: "At this stage, the demolition needs to take place to make the site safe and remove all excavation and unstable building hazards that are present.

"The applicant has secured the site boundaries, however they are still finding that children and adults are breaking into the site to either play in the existing building ruins or poach the fish out of the lake."

The five-storey mill on the River Maun is believed to date back to the late 1700s, and was built by the fourth Duke of Portland.

There have been several attempts to bring the site back into use.

Plans were passed in 2016 for 32 homes and 25 flats, with the historic mill turned into exhibition space.

This was followed by plans to convert the building into a 70-bed care home, just weeks after the fire.

However, all of these projects failed to materialise.

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