Historic mill in Peterborough edges closer to sale

The 19th century Whitworth Mill - which stands on the last site to be developed at Fletton Quays - is expected to be sold this week for £900,000 to an as yet unnamed buyer.

Owner Peterborough City Council says it expects contracts to be exchanged during the next week.

The approved costs include a further £14,000 plus VAT for associated surveying costs.

The council has invoked urgency procedures that allow the chairman of its growth and regeneration scrutiny committee to agree the sale and to suspend a requirement to publish that decision for five days before it comes into force.

A council notice states: “These procedures have been invoked because there is a limited time to exchange of contracts which needs to take place within the next week and the standard process could potentially mean losing this deal.”

The sale of the site will bring to an end a 30 year wait to regenerate of Fletton Quays

It will be the second time in nine months that the Mill, which occupies about 22,642 sq ft over four floors and sits on a 1.41 acre site, has secured a buyer.

Last July, the council, which put the site on the market in October 2019, pulled out of a sale deal after the then buyer, Bedford-based property development company Samsons, reduced its offer at the 11th hour citing difficulties caused by the outbreak of Covid-19.

The company had planned to create a boutique hotel at the Mill and to use part of the building as a company office for up to 15 staff.

It intended to develop a boutique hotel on the upper floors and to pursue arts related uses on the ground floor with an area of external space used as an arts performance space.

The company had also set out proposals for the surrounding site and intends to build a four blocks of a similar height to Whitworth Mill with boutique hotel uses on the upper floors and A3 restaurant, food court space on the ground floor.

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