Meeting called to discuss future of fire-hit mill

People evacuated from their homes after the most recent fire at a derelict mill complex have been invited to a meeting to discuss the future of the site.

The latest in a series of fires tore through the Grade II* listed Dalton Mills, in Keighley, on 13 September, forcing nearby residents from their homes.

Organised by Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore, the meeting is due to take place later on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Bradford Council's chief executive, Keighley East councillor Caroline Firth accused the authority of failing to act, saying she had witnessed the "devastation, panic and fear" caused. The council has been approached for comment.

It is the third fire this year at the building, which has previously been used as a filming location for Peaky Blinders and Downton Abbey.

Crews were also called to a blaze there in July 2025, while a fire in March 2022 destroyed a significant part of the complex.

Since 2024 the complex has been the responsibility of the Crown Estate after the previous owner relinquished his rights following bankruptcy and the collapse of plans to restore the complex.

In her letter, Firth said, during the most recent fire, she had watched as the wind blew embers towards nearby houses, with "large chunks of debris were raining down on people and homes".

She said one resident's hair had caught fire and another told her they would not return until they were certain they would not be "burnt alive" in their home.

She said residents felt "ignored" and criticised what she described as a "lack of urgency" in efforts to tackle problems at the site.

"This latest fire, which has destroyed the only building left worth saving, is something I've warned of and essentially begged for action on for well over a year," she wrote.

Firth also expressed frustration that plans put forward by developer Tim Rogers, of Future Transformations, to bring the site into private ownership had not progressed.

She argued the proposal offered a potential route towards the regeneration of the mill complex and said opportunities to restore the site could now have been lost.

Bradford Council has previously said the Crown Estate is aware of security concerns at the abandoned site, which has suffered repeated trespass incidents, and that it has been working with Historic England on additional security measures.

Police have previously said they believed most of the fires at Dalton Mills were started deliberately.

Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.