A FIRE-RAVAGED old mill on the banks of the River Deben is to be demolished and replaced with a five-storey block of 58 flats.Councillors approved permission for the imaginative scheme after hearing that the current old mill – damaged in a blaze in 1994 – could not be refurbished and converted into homes.

By Richard Cornwell

A FIRE-RAVAGED old mill on the banks of the River Deben is to be demolished and replaced with a five-storey block of 58 flats.

Councillors approved permission for the imaginative scheme after hearing that the current old mill – damaged in a blaze in 1994 – could not be refurbished and converted into homes.

The new building will reflect the architecture of the mill and be constructed in red brick with natural slate for the roof.

Bellway Homes (Essex) Ltd are also developing another part of the site at Melton, near Woodbridge, with a block of 21 flats, and other parts of the site may become available for industry later.

Suffolk Coastal council's development control sub committee was told that 29 of the flats would be one-bed and 29 of them two-bed.

The developers had agreed to invest heavily in landscaping to make the site attractive and discussions were taking place with the council's experts.

One of the main concerns is car parking as only 61 spaces have been put onto the plans, but officers said this met current policy and people living in the flats would have to realise that they were only permitted to own one car.

In a report officers said that some design matters still have to be discussed with the architects, but it was in line with previous proposals to renovate the mill.

"The applicants have endeavoured to produce a scheme which closely resembles the previously approved scheme," said planning officers.

"It has the same number of units, the same footprint, a similar pattern of fenestration and architectural features and uses similar materials.

"The height of the building is marginally greater than the previous scheme but not such as to significantly increase the mass or scale of the building."

Woodbridge councillor Anni Healey said: "I am very glad the officers have taken so much trouble in getting the best possible design and materials so we will have a quality development because this is a very important part of the river."