HISTORIC MILL SITE ATTRACTS INTEREST FROM DEVELOPERS
A former textile mill and site in Innerleithen in the Scottish Borders is possibly going to be converted for commercial use.
Brodies Mill and outbuildings are situated on Chapel St/Damside, Innerleithen on a self-contained 0.9 acre regeneration site.
The four-floor Mill building was constructed in 1788 by Alexander Brodie and was subsequently added to in a piecemeal fashion over the 19th and 20th centuries.
It became Caerlee Mill, Innerleithen’s largest employer making and selling cashmere around the world under the Ballantyne brand.
Following the Caerlee Mill site’s final closure in 2013, a number of later additions were recently demolished to create the adjacent residential site, on which Whiteburn is close to completing its development of 44 new homes, now all sold.
The retained buildings are Category B Listed and lie centrally located within Innerleithen and a short walk from the town centre.
Whiteburn’s MD Eve McCurrich said: “We have had preliminary discussions with a number of interested parties, including a mountain bike innovation centre.
“We are now ready to see a viable and complementary use emerge for these buildings, compatible with the character of our Caerlee development as well as the village of Innerleithen.”
Shepherd Chartered Surveyors is bringing the site to market.
Steven Clarke, associate at Shepherd’s Edinburgh office added: “We’ve attracted good interest since we started marketing the site and we are engaged with two parties and discussing proposals with them – both commercial uses rather than residential.
“However, the site is designated for regeneration and the current owner has made representation to the emerging Local Plan for residential use so it is suitable for a variety of commercial uses or residential development.”