Residents accuse Bromham Parish Council of “shutting out” the village over £6.5million mill project
A major redevelopment of Bromham Mill has sparked anger among residents, who say they have been excluded from decisions on the parish’s largest-ever financial project.
The original scheme was approved in 2022 and costed at around £6.5 million, according to a letter of objection which was shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
It added that plans were “abandoned” after build estimates showed it was unaffordable.
Residents claim a quarter of a million pounds had already been spent on professional fees and planning work before the plan was scrapped.
In its place, the parish council submitted revised applications this summer to Bedford Borough Council. These proposals include extending the Grade II listed Mill House into a “wellness centre” and offices, converting the listed barn into a café with outdoor seating, and demolishing a 1930s barn to make way for extra parking spaces.
Campaigners argue the new plans remain financially risky, pointing to the absence of costings or a clear business plan. In objections lodged with the borough’s planning department, resident Mike Cryer described the financial projections as “wishful thinking” and warned that “nobody knows if the site will be more or less profitable” if the scheme goes ahead.
The revised applications were lodged with the borough at the end of July. A “community engagement” session was held on the August bank holiday — after the plans had already been submitted. Residents say no mention of the new proposals was made in the Bromham Broadsheet newsletters, at the Bromham Show, or on noticeboards.
The parish council has previously argued the mill must be made financially sustainable if it is to be preserved, and that new uses are needed to secure the site’s future.
More information on the two associated planning applications, 25/01544/FUL and 25/01545/LBC (listed building consent), can be found on the council’s planning portal.
The overall consultation expiry date for both is Friday, September 19, 2025, and residents are calling for the decision to be referred to committee rather than approved under delegated powers.
Bromham Parish Council was approached for a comment, but did not respond at the time of publication.