Plea for George Osborne to give £5m bank fines to boost Flax Mill

Daniel Kawczynski, MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, has requested assistance from George Osborne, in what he says is a "huge opportunity" to bring the buildings back into use.

In a letter to the Chancellor Mr Kawczynski said: "Following my request Historic England have taken advice from Urban Splash, one of the leading regeneration specialists in the country, who have advised that the main mill must be the centrepiece of the development.

"An additional £3 to £5m will allow this to happen and give the site a third century of life and activity."

The Flax Mill is owned by Historic England, which is seeking redevelop the 6.2 acre site with a mix of commercial and residential use.

The organisation has secured £6.5m to start the development, and also has approval in principle for around £12.8m from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Mr Kawczynski said that £3m to £5m would allow the project to go ahead.

In the letter the MP told the Chancellor of the building's historical significance.

He said: "It is undoubtedly of outstanding global significance and it is no exaggeration to say that the Flax Mill is regarded as the 'grandfather of skyscrapers'. Its importance was officially recognised in the 1950s with it becoming a Grade I-listed building and is the centre piece of an industrial complex that includes the third and eighth oldest iron framed buildings in the world."

Mr Kawczynski has also stressed the potential economic impact the site's redevelopment could have on Shrewsbury.

He said: "The site is very close to Shrewsbury town centre and offers a huge opportunity to bring these unique historic buildings back into use, developing the brownfield site to provide new homes and jobs and in doing so, help regenerate this area."

Urban Splash, the property developer responsible for restoring Fort Dunlop in Birmingham, has been in the process of drawing up a report on the project after being asked to advise on commercial possibilities for the project.

Tim Johnston, Historic England's project director for the Ditherington Flaxmill, said the draft report had highlighted the potential complexities of the scheme, saying: "The Ditherington Flaxmill is certainly one of the most challenging and technically complex regeneration projects in the country at present."

The first section of the redevelopment plan is currently being finished with the conversion of a former stable block into a visitor centre to allow for tours of the site, expected to be completed in November.