Repairs are needed at one of Halifax’s most well known landmarks.

A request has been made to Calderdale Council for planning permission to carry out work needed to fix the leaking rooves of E Mill and Victoria Shed at Dean Clough.

The request also includes for permission to install solar panels to the rooves of Victoria Mill, F Mill, E Mill and G Mill.

According to supporting statements submitted with the bid, the buildings at Dean Clough are mainly heated and cooled by electrical heat pump

technology.

The use of gas for heating has been progressively phased out over the past 30 years.

"The electricity consumed on site is procured from renewable sources, however there is considerable potential to generate electricity on site using roof mounted solar photovoltaic panels,” says the statement.

"The benefits of this are not only environmental, but also economic.

"The value of the electrical power generated will be used to finance the repair of the roof of Victoria Shed, which has been leaking badly for a number of years."

The statement adds that the eastern half of Victoria Shed is currently vacant, and the roof needs to be repaired before it can be let to a new customer.

It says E Mill’s roof needs to be refurbished as the existing over cladding is “nearing the end of its life”.

"The proposed works are to rooves, which have been significantly altered or replaced and no historic fabric will be affected by the work,” the statement continues.

"The proposed work is reversible.

"The rooves of all the buildings are hidden by their height and surrounding parapets from ground level views within the site.”

If approved, the proposed 700kW rooftop solar installation will generate 590,359kWh annually, and 20,662,565kWh over its 35 year expected lifespan, says the statement.

The scheme would mean avoiding 117 tonnes of CO₂ per year.

John Crossley and Sons grew to become the largest carpet factory in the world.

The sheer scale of the buildings at Dean Clough, the floor area and the workforce employed made the business nationally significant.

A relatively large proportion of the wealth generated by the business was used to improve the living conditions of the workforce, both on and off the site, and for improvements to Halifax.