Fresh plans look set to be submitted to convert the former Dunlopillo office block in Pannal into housing.
Hornbeam Park Developments Ltd bought the derelict building at the end of March and said it hopes to submit new planning permission proposals later this year. These will include residential apartments as well as industrial units to the rear of the building.
The block was built in 1961 but has been deteriorating for several years. Dunlopillo closed in 2008 but residents had long complained about the unpleasant smell emanating from the factory.
Much of the site has already been demolished and replaced with housing as well as the Vida Grange care home.
A spokesperson for Hornbeam Park said in a statement:
“Our intention is to continue with the proposed conversion of the former office building to residential (apartments) with industrial units proposed to the remainder.
“We expect to be in a position to submit a planning application in respect of the land adjacent Vida Grange this summer.”
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From 1938 to 1949 the site was occupied by the Bintex factory, which manufactured radar equipment for use during the Second World War.
It was bought by rubber manufacturer Dunlop, which changed its name to Dunlopillo and made the site its headquarters.
It is estimated around 440 people worked there in its 1970s and 80s heyday producing pillows, mattresses, beds and latex cushioning for cars.
The Dunlopillo building does not have a good legacy in Pannal. Photo: Anne Smith
Pannal historian Anne Smith, who has written several books on the village, said she welcomed plans to redevelop the office block.
She said:
“It’s an eyesore, but we’d rather it was demolished.
“Dunlopillo’s legacy in Pannal is not a good one. People will be glad to see the back of it. The smells from the factory were terrible.”
