Historic mill to be restored after council agrees trust transfer

Alec Doyle – Local democracy reporter

A community trust will be awarded a 25-year lease to restore and run an historic mill after a council’s executive board approved the move.

The Nant Mill Community Trust applied for a Community Asset Transfer to take responsibility for the repair, maintenance and operation of the early 19th century mill building and associated buildings in Wrexham.

Its goal is to re-open the Victorian corn mill as a heritage attraction celebrating the industrial past of the site and applied for the transfer in order to unlock a £1.5 million National Lottery Heritage grant.

The transfer came to public prominence in March this year when Coedpoeth Cllrs Anthony Wedlake and Krista Childs expressed frustration at ongoing delays around the decision to transfer Nant Mill – which were closed in 2019 – to the Trust.

‘Historic’

But Wrexham Council has now voted in favour of awarding a lease of a minimum of 25 years to the Trust to operate the main buildings.

Officers stated this was to ensure the Trust could maximise its eligibility for grants and other funding to restore and reopen the mill as an historic visitor attraction.

The car park and woodland will continue to be managed by Wrexham Council as part of the country park with rangers working in partnership with the Trust.

‘Pleased’

The site is also part of the Clywedog Valley Partnership which crosses into Denbighshire, however the terms of the transfer state specifically that revenue generated by Nant Mill must be reinvested into the Wrexham County Borough.

“I’m very pleased that this is before us eventually,” said Cllr Childs at Executive Board on Tuesday. “I thank Groundworks, the Clywedog Valley Partnership, Richard Aram in particular and Nant Mill Community Trust for really shouldering behind this proposal.”