Bradford council taxpayers face potential significant financial exposure if the local authority makes a poorly judged intervention in the ongoing situation concerning a fire-damaged mill building, according to warnings from elected members.
The complex chain of ownership affecting Dalton Mills in Keighley has prompted the Reform UK-led administration at Bradford Council to emphasise that any steps taken must undergo rigorous scrutiny to prevent future legal and financial implications for the public.
When the previous owner company of Dalton Mills went bankrupt and was removed from the companies register through a compulsory strike-off procedure in 2021, the Victorian-era mill complex fell under an obscure legal doctrine known as escheat, effectively rendering it without an identifiable owner, and responsibility transferred to the Crown Estate.
The local authority has encountered mounting demands to respond promptly and decisively given concerns about the site’s future, though officials have cautioned that any involvement would present considerable complications.
Councillor Andrew Judson, Deputy Leader of Bradford Council, stated that the Dalton Mills situation presented a legally intricate challenge stemming from the absence of a confirmed owner.
He emphasised that any site operations required thorough assessment to prevent exposing the council and local taxpayers to prospective legal obligations or expenditure.
Councillor Judson, who represents the Keighley West ward, noted that the council had implemented certain measures during the previous year to prevent unauthorised entry to the site.
Despite these interventions, some individuals continued to target the historically significant structure, posing risks to local residents, businesses and the general public.
The council remained dedicated to supporting initiatives that would return Dalton Mills to productive use and establish a viable future for the site under private ownership.
His remarks followed criticism from Councillor Caroline Firth of the Labour Party, representing Keighley, who accused Bradford Council of failing to respond effectively after another significant fire incident at the derelict complex.
The most recent fire at the heritage location occurred on Saturday, sparking renewed calls for governmental intervention.
Councillor Firth communicated her concerns directly to the council’s chief executive Lorraine O’Donnell, characterising the council’s response as deficient in urgency and strategic direction.
During her visit to the fire location, Councillor Firth reported observing widespread destruction alongside expressions of panic and anxiety among those present.
She described how substantial portions of building materials were falling onto nearby properties and residents.
Emergency responders performed admirably by cooling roof structures before embers could ignite larger sections.
The flames reportedly came dangerously close to igniting one resident’s roof while another individual’s hair caught fire from flying debris.
Multiple householders expressed reluctance to return to their homes, with at least one resident confiding to Councillor Firth that they would remain away until certain they would not face the threat of being burned to death within their own residence.
Councillor Firth offered pointed criticism of Bradford Council’s approach, contending that officers were not providing adequate strategic direction and that the authority was already incurring public criticism for its apparent reluctance to act.
She observed that the council possessed a community leadership function it was currently failing to discharge.
She further noted that Keighley residents experienced feelings of abandonment, helplessness and low priority within the council’s agenda.
The councillor attributed the circumstances partly to insufficient urgency and coordination within Bradford Council’s internal operations.
Councillor Firth expressed support for Tim Rogers of Future Transformations, who has been pursuing acquisition of Dalton Mills through private ownership.
She highlighted that Mr Rogers had been requesting the council for an extended period exceeding one year to utilise statutory powers enabling creation of a fresh land title, which would eliminate an existing historic encumbrance.
Councillor Firth maintained that transferring the property to private ownership represented the most promising pathway to securing the site’s future.
She warned that maintaining the current arrangement within the Crown Estate would inevitably result in the structure’s complete destruction through fire.
She noted that the recent blaze, which consumed the sole remaining structure of sufficient merit to warrant preservation, represented precisely the outcome she had cautioned against and implored the council to prevent for more than a year.
Councillor Firth concluded her correspondence by urging the chief executive to intervene, stating she could no longer contain her concerns privately.
She expressed that her position was clear: she had exhausted available options regarding this matter.
All her communications had remained undisclosed and she had maintained silence on her frustrations.
She could no longer continue in this manner and needed her constituents to understand that she had advocated and would persist in advocating for them and their community.