Vandals and trespassers have been warned to avoid a derelict and dangerous mill in Wigan - or face a fine or imprisonment. Wigan Council has been liaising with Greater Manchester Police and the fire and rescue service to obtain a closure order for Pagefield Mill.
It is now a criminal offence for anyone to enter the site following a rise in anti-social behaviour at the site. Pagefield Mill is a privately owned listed building and forms part of the borough’s heritage assets but has fallen into a state of disrepair due to the age of the building and repeated vandalism.
Police patrols around the area have increased and the site is under surveillance with CCTV and a drone.
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For public safety, the council are urging everyone to avoid entering the property due to it being dangerous and have released a video of the inside to show why. A number of closure orders have been placed on the building in the last few years in a bid to reduce vandalism.
Councillor Kevin Anderson, portfolio holder for Police, Crime and Civil Contingencies, said: “Through the Place and Community Safety Partnership, we have taken a multi-agency approach to successfully obtain a three-month closure order at Pagefield Mill. This makes it a criminal offence for anyone to trespass at this site.
“This is not the first time we have had to obtain an order of this kind at the site but it highlights the seriousness of this behaviour and dramatically increases the severity of the consequences. The council may not have legal responsibility for the building, but are nevertheless extremely concerned for the safety of all our residents.
“For everyone’s safety we urge people not to trespass.”
Between August 2019 and 7 July 2020, prior to the first closure order, the police received 27 reports at the site, the M.E.N reported previously. During the period the order was in place, there were only nine.
