Council and Partners Take Action to Tackle Dangerous Activity at Rhyddings Mill
Council and Partners Take Action to Tackle Dangerous Activity at Rhyddings Mill
Hyndburn Borough Council has been working closely with partner agencies over the past weeks in response to a series of incidents involving anti-social behaviour, trespass and deliberate fire-setting at Rhyddings Mill on Stonebridge Lane, Oswaldtwistle.
The condition of the former mill building presents a significant risk to anyone who enters the site. The property is privately owned and unauthorised access, including cutting locks, damaging fencing or entering without permission, constitutes trespass and may also involve criminal offences.
Recent fires at the site have caused serious concern for local residents and partner agencies. In addition to the immediate risks to life and property, these incidents create air pollution, pose a risk of contamination to nearby watercourses through fire-fighting run-off, and can result in local residents experiencing temporary loss of water supply while Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service responds. They also divert valuable emergency service resources away from other incidents across Hyndburn and Lancashire.
Footage obtained from the site has shown groups of young people gaining access and engaging in dangerous and anti-social activities within the building.
In response, the Council has taken action and continues to work with Lancashire Police, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies to address the situation.
Legal action has been initiated against the site owner, requiring both immediate and longer-term measures to improve site security and reduce the impact the property is having on the local community.
As an interim measure, the Council has also carried out additional works to secure the site and is installing CCTV cameras around the perimeter. Any incidents captured by the system will be reported directly to Lancashire Police to support investigation and enforcement action where appropriate.
Councillor Paul Cox, Portfolio Holder for Environmental Services said:
“The scenes we have witnessed at Rhyddings Mill are extremely concerning. This is a dangerous and unstable site, and no one should be entering it under any circumstances. The recent incidents have posed significant risks not only to those accessing the building, but also to local residents, emergency service personnel and the wider community.”
“We have acted alongside our partners to improve security and pursue action against the owners of the site. I would urge parents and guardians to speak to their children about the very real dangers of entering the site and the serious consequences of trespass, criminal damage and deliberate fire-setting.”
Parents and guardians are being urged to discuss the dangers of the site with their children and to reinforce the potential consequences of unlawful activity.
The Council, Lancashire Police, Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service and other partner agencies will continue to monitor the situation closely and will take robust action against anyone found to be unlawfully accessing the site or committing criminal offences.