Bromham Mill Lease Agreed (August 2022)
Bromham Mill enjoys a fine location, nestled on the banks of the River Great Ouse. It is a cultural and natural asset of immense potential and Bromham Parish Council aspires to transform the area and to re-establish it as a hub of economic and recreational activity.
Bromham Parish Council has now secured a 100-year lease of the Mill Complex from Bedford Borough Council and it now has the responsibility for the complex and the ability to pursue the regeneration and renaissance of this community asset. The Parish Council is fully committed to refurbishing the site in a sensitive way in order to enhance the recreational and educational asset, transform Bromham Mill into an exciting community facility and visitor attraction and to create the location as a key, vital and vibrant leisure and cultural destination.
Much could be made of the Mill, the Mill House and the outbuildings if they were sensitively refurbished but there is, of course, a need for realism and acceptance that this is a long-term commitment as the current condition of the infrastructure is poor and it requires sympathetic investment. The plans for the regeneration of the asset must, therefore, be undertaken in a measured way (with some early successes like The Coffee Shop that is already well established and very well received by visitors) and in line with a vision to develop and invest to enable the complex to realise its full potential. Planning and listed building consents need to be obtained and, in this regard, various technical studies have been commissioned to inform the refurbishment proposals, potential uses and to develop architectural concept designs.
The outstanding work of existing community groups, such as the Friends of Bromham Mill, Bromham Conservation Group and Bromham Nature Club, is already evident and appreciated; the Fairy Garden is immensely popular. These groups will be hugely important in taking this exciting project forward and, building on this good work, the aspiration to create Bromham Mill as a dynamic community hub could further enable the provision of small retail units and craft workshops, well-being/therapy spaces, offices/studios for small local businesses and organisations, and space for artists and musicians to showcase their work.
The Bromham Neighbourhood Plan, adopted on 9 June 2021, features Bromham Mill with a key aim “to enhance the value of Bromham Mill to the inhabitants of Bromham and other local people by increasing the number of events and activities it hosts and giving the site a more dynamic and central focus in village life”. Bromham Mill does much to help characterise Bromham; it is a historic building in a beautiful setting and residents expressed the view through the neighbourhood planning process that, together with its surrounding green space, it could be much more extensively used and could help to create a dynamic community hub.
This is a very important mandate and, following the grant of the lease after a long period of negotiation, the journey continues with even more energy and determination.
Trevor Roff
Chair of Bromham Mill Board