Derelict Chelfham Mill in North Devon will be revitalized into a retreat thanks to a £3 million project.
A community group will fix up the buildings. The school, Chelfham Mill, shut down ten years ago. Neglect caused the site to fall apart. The school sits near the River Yeo and is by the Chelfham Viaduct.
Part of the site will be a café or bistro, and a heritage center is also planned. There will be lodging with nineteen beds available. Another area is for learning about wellbeing; no extra permission is needed here.
Growforward CIC aims to offer workshops. They also want to provide wellbeing training. The bistro may open before next Christmas, and they hope to create twenty jobs.
The project gets money from various sources, including savings and a home sale. The group also took out a business loan, and a commercial lender provided a mortgage.
The site needs at least £3 million in total, and over £1 million is already spent. They also plan community funding and crowdfunding. Partnerships with other groups may generate money.
Local councils support the plans, and initial flood concerns by an agency disappeared. People sent sixty-six letters backing the project because they think it gives the site a purpose. Two letters expressed concerns about the plans.
Those opposed worried about housing for many people, and poor transport links were also a worry. The applicant said volunteers and their families would live there. They will use local materials to fix the buildings.
Plans existed to tear down the buildings before, with fifteen homes and flood defenses planned. The current plans will not hinder the railway’s future.
A council member supports the venture, saying it revives the site and could create much-needed jobs. The group called the school “an eyesore” that attracted crime and vandalism.
The school had a troubled past and negative stories. A 2015 report found safety problems. After an inquiry, a staff member was convicted of committing crimes against a student.