Bromham Parish Council has submitted revised proposals to Bedford Borough Council for the change of use and refurbishment of several buildings at Bromham Mill.
The application includes the conversion of the Grade II listed front barn into a café with a raised outdoor seating area, the change of use and extension of the mill house to form a ground-floor wellbeing hub with offices above, and the conversion of the mill house stables into four retail units.
The scheme also proposes the demolition and replacement of the existing toilet block, the demolition of the rear barn, and the reconfiguration of the car park.
Associated public realm improvements, landscaping, and the installation of wayfinding features and signage are also planned. According to the parish council, the application is a revised version of a scheme approved in 2024.
Read: Concerns Bromham Mill re-development could become “white elephant”
The new proposal eliminates business pods and avoids extending the car park into the meadow, thereby reducing the need for tree removal and minimising disruption to a badger sett.
The café, currently located within the mill, would be relocated to the front barn. The parish council’s business plan states that the mill will continue to be used as a museum, arts, and educational facility, with improved disabled access included in future works.
Income to maintain mill
A supporting business plan states that income from the new uses, including health and wellbeing services and small local retail units, will contribute towards maintaining the mill as a heritage asset.
Public comments submitted to the planning portal include support for the application.
One respondent described it as a “sensible and limited application” that would “greatly enhance the community feeling within the Bromham Mill estate.”
Another said: “The mill is a very popular asset to the village. The plans to improve the facilities further are great, and I am in support of the planning application. I look forward to seeing the changes take place.”
More information on the two associated planning applications: 25/01544/FUL and 25/01545/LBC (listed building consent) can be found on the council’s planning portal.
The overall consultation expiry date for both is Friday, 19 September 2025.
By John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
