MORE than 60 residents voiced their opinions about plans to redevelop the historic Stanley Mills at a public meeting in King’s Stanley Village Hall.

A mix of comments both for and against the proposals to convert the mill into 76 flats and 57 new build homes were expressed at the gathering on Wednesday, July 14.

Further plans to construct another block of flats on site and six luxury homes around the nearby Ryeford Lake, which the mill owns, were also discussed.

Part of the proposals by developers Gladedale Special Projects, which is working with mill owners Peter Griffiths Ltd on the project, include the continuation of carpet manufacturing at the mill by Marling Ltd, which will relocate to a new purpose-built factory on site.

Some praised this and backed the idea of residential development, arguing it would save Greenfield sites and boost the local economy.

Others claimed the new factory setting behind cottages in Ryeford Road South would block out their evening light and exacerbate the risk of flooding downstream of the River Frome, which several members of the action group Bridgend Against River Frome Flooding (BARFF) were in attendance to point out.

More opposition to the plans included its detrimental effect on the landscape, the likely increase in traffic flow around the site and the effect on wildlife at Ryeford Lake, which is popular with carp anglers.

The proposed design of the development’s new build elements were also attacked for being ‘unsympathetic’ to the historic character of the mill, while others claimed they would not be affordable to local people.

Perhaps the biggest concern was the lack of representation from the developers, despite the fact that they were invited to attend.

"Attendees were very disappointed that no one was present to respond to their questions," said Jane Roberts, clerk to King’s Stanley Parish Council.

"The general feeling was that something needed to be done to secure a useful future for the mill.

"They felt the current proposals needed to be significantly modified and pruned down to better reflect the history of the site."

In response, Paul Lemar of Gladedale Special Projects, which is based in Surrey, said: "We held a public consultation before submitting the application and we are quite happy to talk to parish councils but given the distance from where we are it was not thought appropriate to go.

"Public meetings can get out of hand and we often find that we can not get over the technicalities of the points we want to make.

"We are happy to answer any questions that are raised and we feel we are very open about what we are doing."

Stroud District Council said the application is likely to be discussed at development control on October 12, pending a response from the English Heritage Advisory Council.