Plans to convert Loggans Mill in Hayle into affordable houses

A historic Cornish mill is set to be converted into affordable housing after a planning application was approved.

Cornwall Council applied for planning permission to convert Loggans Mill in Hayle into 16 apartments.

Under plans approved by the council’s west sub-area planning committee on Monday (January 9) all 16 of the apartments will be available for affordable rent.

The 19th century, Grade II listed mill has fallen into disrepair with locals and councillors campaigning to try and save the building.

Various uses for the building have been considered over the years, including converting it into a hotel.

Plans to use it for housing had been put forward in a project with Coastline Housing in 2017 and were revived by Cornwall Council last year.

Under the new proposals, the former mill will be converted into eight one-bedroom apartments and eight two-bedroom apartments.

These will all be offered for rent by the council through its own registered housing provider Cornwall Housing.

The committee heard that there are currently 418 households on the housing waiting list in Hayle, showing how much the area needs affordable homes.

Hayle Town Council “strongly supported” the proposals with Cllr Anne-Marie Rance highlighting that John Pollard, a former councillor who recently died, had been a key campaigner in getting the historic building protected.

She said that the former mill had been “very near to John’s heart” and said that the town council wished that he had been able to see it being put back into use and provide housing for local people.

The committee heard that the building is in a poor state of repair and that the internal floors had collapsed.

Last year the council erected scaffolding around the building after there were fears that the mill could collapse as a result of a sizeable crack in its structure.

An exclusion zone was set up and part of Lidl car park closed off whilst investigation work took place.

The planning applications were both approved unanimously by the committee.