A SCHEME to transform a landmark former mill site into a retail, leisure, business and housing complex to rival Plymouth’s Royal William Yard has been approved by planners.
South Hams Council has approved the proposal by Burrington Estates for Ivybridge’s historic Stowford Mill, the former corn and later paper mill that closed in 2013 with the loss of many jobs.
The developer says the scheme will ‘open up the site’, allowing the public into the historic mill for the first time and adding ‘high quality facilities to Ivybridge, while strengthening its identity and contributing to the regeneration of the town centre’.
The plans include 36 new homes and 32 ‘later living’ one and two bed apartments, the conversion of existing buildings to create office, retail and commercial space, the conversion of an existing farm to create two homes and 27 one and two bed apartments, and areas for community use, car parking and landscaping.
Members of Ivybridge Town Council, which has been broadly supportive of the scheme, hope that the new development could help to put the town on the map. It has also welcomed the inclusion of planned hotel rooms in the development.
More to follow.