Objections have been made to plans to convert a former Victorian Mill in Royton into flats.

Blackmores D Ltd has launched the application for the site of Thornham Mill.

The building was constructed in 1874 and extended in 1890 and 1920.

Developers now want to knock down the derelict Oozewood Road structure to create a five-storey building with 72 residential units and claim the core aims are to “create an aspirational place to live and a sense of place” whilst also having “a strong architectural identity with a nod back to the historical past.”

The plan is to provide a mix of apartment sizes.

The design statement states that the Mill stands out further in the context of the wider area as developments surrounding it have been mostly residential in recent decades.

The site has 69 parking spaces in the underground and a further 18 outside.

A similar scheme for the area was approved in 2007 but never realised.

But objections have come in from surrounding properties about the potential impact on them.

One stated: “72 units is far too many, potentially 2 cars per unit, plans state 69 in the basement 18 on site, where would potentially another 57 cars be located?

“The street is absolutely unacceptable, it is a busy road already and at commute times trying to get out on to Rochdale Road is hard enough.”

Another said: “I wholly object to this overly development.

“This will infringe all privacy to the surrounding houses close to this development, the pollution, noise, that will increase substantially with another 72 units in an already over developed area of Royton north.

“This is a town not a city.”

Another objector said: “I am sure this will affect the value of my property should I sell due to lack of privacy.

“An empty mill has never compromised my privacy. This development certainly will.”

However on social media some were more positive about the possibility.

On a discussion of the proposal in the Save Royton Green Belt one person said: “If it saves green belt then it’s a good idea, got to be better than looking at the derelict mill.”

Another said that for the 47 years they had lived in Royton the derelict mill had “always been a bit of an eyesore.”