PLANS to demolish a 19th century Brierfield mill to make way for 30 new homes have been deferred by Pendle Council.

Rowan Ramsay Investments has applied for outline planning permission to build two-storey three and four-bedroom homes on the site of Lob Lane Mill.

The canal-side steam powered the weaving mill, in Clitheroe Road, which was built before 1879 and added to in 1891 and 1910, would be knocked down and seven detached houses would be built along the canal front, three detached houses along the southern and northern edges of the site and four blocks of town houses along the Holden Road frontage.

The proposals were recommended for approval by the council's planning officers but members of the Brierfield and Reedley Committee voted to defer the decision for negotiations with the developer about saving the mill building and converting it into flats.

Councillor Frank Clifford said: "Rather than refuse this there is significant opportunity to defer it to encourage the applicants to look into keeping the mill frontage."