The regeneration of the famous Tonedale Mill in Wellington, Somerset, might encounter delays as the Somerset Council considers requesting an extension from the government. The council secured nearly £20m in November 2023 in the third and final round of the levelling up fund for the regeneration of Tonedale Mill and the neighboring Tone Works site on the northern edge of Wellington.
Over the past year, the council’s economic development and regeneration teams have prioritized projects in other areas of the county, such as the Yeovil Refresh, portions of the Firepool site in Taunton, and the town deal programs in Bridgwater and Glastonbury. The council has now indicated it may seek an extension from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) to extend the funding beyond the current deadline of late-March 2026.
Once at the heart of the mighty Fox Brothers & Co. Ltd., one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of woollen and worsted garments in the South West, Tonedale Mill and Tone Works have a rich history. The original corn mill at the Tone Works site was acquired by Quaker businessman Thomas Fox in 1796, becoming the finishing works for a business that, at its peak, employed 5,000 people.
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Despite its historical significance, Tonedale Mill largely ceased operations in the 1980s, with only a small portion of production continuing on part of the site, alongside a few small businesses nearby. Meanwhile, Tone Works, which closed in 2000, has received approximately £1m of government funding for land decontamination and to prevent the existing structures from falling into disrepair.
Surrounded by green space, including Fox’s Field off Burchills Lane, which has been in public ownership since 2021, the council plans to utilize the £19,987,663 levelling up grant to preserve the existing buildings and prepare the ground for new commercial occupants, alongside residential and cultural elements.
At present, the council has not disclosed how much of the levelling up grant has been utilized, but it confirmed ongoing negotiations for the purchase of the Tonedale Mill site. A spokesperson mentioned that while March 31, 2026, remains the target date for the project, options for requesting an extension are being explored.
The council is also in the process of acquiring additional land at Tone Works and is preparing to start procuring contractors for work on both sites. Several decisions regarding the sites are expected to be presented to the council’s executive committee within the next six months, including the acquisition and disposal of land parcels within either site.
Following the completion of the regeneration work by the council, any future redevelopment of the sites, whether for residential, commercial, or leisure purposes, will be undertaken by a third party. The scope of works under the levelling up program does not call for planning applications or public consultation, focusing on repair and improvement of specific parts of the site to protect the buildings and historic machinery, which is integral to bringing these buildings back into future use.
The council spokesperson also indicated that options for the end use of parts of the buildings are being explored, requiring additional investment for eventual use of these sites.