Briefield Mills, the iconic former home of the medical fabrics company, Smith and Nephew, was sold for just over £1 million to the Birmingham based charity, Islamic Help. 

Details publicly available from the Land Registry show the sale went through on 22 December 2009 and that the registered owners are Sultan Niaz Ul Hassan and Mohammad Masood Alam Khan, both from Balsall Heath in Birmingham. They are trustees of the charity Islamic Help.

The main focus of the charity is disaster relief. 

Speaking from Barnoldswick at the weekend, local MP, Gordon Prentice, said: “This is a very large site in a prominent position in Brierfield. The land is zoned for employment uses and the Mill itself is a Grade II listed building. This means there are already constraints on what the new owners can do with the site.” 

“The precise intentions of Islamic Help are unclear but they have been raising money via their website for the Pendle Boarding School for Girls – in advance of any indication that they will receive planning permission for a change of use.” 

“I have asked the Charity Commission to investigate whether the charity is operating outside its charitable objects and they are meeting the trustees this coming week. Clearly, given all the controversy and the speculation, .people are keen to know what they have in mind for the site.”  

The MP added: “This huge site was almost given away at a price of £1,020,000 plus VAT. Whatever the end use, I suspect a significant amount will have to be spent on the building.” 

Note to Editors: The Land Registry title number is LA853292