A HOUSING minister has welcomed proposals to regenerate an old mill site in Radcliffe.

Christopher Pincher was joined by Bury South MP Christian Wakeford and council leader Eamonn O'Brien as he toured the former East Lancs Paper Mill site.

Mr Pincher said: "We need to ensure we start building the right sort of homes in the right places at the right prices.

“We are on a derelict site, an unused piece of land that has gone unloved for quite some time, and when it is built it will have good-quality, new homes, built to the government’s new standards for homes.

“This means that they will be at least 75 per cent more carbon efficient than buildings under present regulations."

The minister also said it was the government's mission to build on brownfield sites and protect the green belt.

Cllr O'Brien said the council's bid to regenerate Radcliffe, including a new civic hub and high school, was a "key part" of his talks with the minister.

He added: "It was a great opportunity to promote and lobby for a positive outcome for that bid."

Mr Pincher also toured several other brownfield sites in the area as part of his visit.