THE future of struggling Whitchurch Silk Mill was a topic of much debate, and concern, at the town council’s latest meeting.

As reported in The Gazette, the mill, in Winchester Street, stopped producing silk after nearly 200 years in December last year. Chairman of the trustees, Howard Birtwistle, said in a statement that covering the overall annual operating deficit of £80,000 had become a “heavy burden.”

But Cllr John Wall told the meeting: “The Silk Mill has got itself into this situation under the trustees.”

Cllr Allan Vaughan added: “Discussions about whether they are doing a good job should be had with the trustees or the Charity Commission. They are there to regulate charities and are immensely powerful.”

A letter from five Whitchurch residents was sent to the town council, asking members to write to the borough and county councils to urge them to continue funding for the mill.

But councillors expressed concerns that they had not discussed the problems with the trustees yet, and were apprehensive about sending any letters before doing so.

Cllr Michael Fitzgerald said: “We are jumping in over the top of the trustees, and I will vote against writing a letter because we haven’t actually spoken to the trustees and had a discussion with them.”

Cllr Dave Titcomb said: “Part of the problem has been the accessibility of the trustees. It (the mill) has got itself into this problem under their stewardship.”

Cllr Claire Isbester added: “The fear is if we don’t express support for it and for it to be publicly funded, that funding might be at risk.”

Whitchurch mayor Cllr Jackie Day said: “We don’t want the mill to close.”

The mill, above, was built in 1815 and became a manufacturer of silk in 1817, when 80 people were employed.

It was restored in the 1980s and opened to the public under the management of Whitchurch Silk Mill Trust in 1990.

Whitchurch councillors agreed to write to the two councils asking for their continued support. Councillors will also write to the trustees to ask to discuss the matter.

Councillor Keith Chapman, Hampshire County Council’s executive member for culture and recreation, said the council consider the mill to be a “significant part of Hampshire’s heritage” as the last working mill in the south of England.

He added: “We are continuing to support the mill in the current financial year with a grant of £21,000, but we are keen that they develop a strong and resilient business model that works towards a robust financial plan to secure its future.

“We are supporting the mill to help them develop this plan and also working in partnership with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to ensure that any public funding invested in the mill will deliver wider cultural and economic benefits to the local comm-unity.”