The report, ‘Engines of Prosperity: New Uses for Old Mills’, stated that there are currently over 1,000 textile mills either vacant or underused in the region and has urged developers, owners and agents to bring forward ideas for conversions.

In autumn 2015, Historic England appointed property consultants Cushman & Wakefield and architects Lathams to investigate ideas for bringing the region’s vacant textile mills back into use.

The report found that some mills in the region had been successfully converted and concluded there was a need for partners to collaborate on important places to facilitate investment in reuse.

Trevor Mitchell, Planning Director for Yorkshire at Historic England, said the textile mills were the original Northern Powerhouse and were a great resource for the future.

“They still shape our skyline and are providing new spaces for the creative and digital industries as well as housing for the 21st century.

“We want to work with partners willing to find creative solutions to bring new uses to these old mills to secure their future."

Stephen Mills, Director at Cushman & Wakefield, concluded: "The scale of the opportunity is vast, but mills are considered high-risk ventures by some.

“We need to overcome this by learning from those that have done it well and by marshalling the expertise and funding to have a lasting impact on the region's economy and on the survival of our heritage."