Associated British Ports (ABP) Southampton wants to expand its current port operations further and now proposes to demolish the former Solent Flour Mills building.

Built in 1934 by Joseph Rank (founder of Rank Hovis McDougall), Solent Flour Mills was the first building constructed on the reclaimed land now known as the Southampton Western Docks. It ceased operating as a mill in 2018 and has since lain vacant. It provides a key link with our industrial past and continues to dominate the skyline, visible from across the city as a landmark building, that was locally listed in 2009 but not nationally listed.

Southampton City Council's heritage champion, Cllr. Sarah Bogle and local Freemantle ward Councillor, Dave Shields are keen to work with ABP to find alternative solutions to demolition, bring other partners in and instead of losing a much-loved part of our heritage, find a new purpose for the building that benefits both the city and the port.

There are many options that could be used by cruise passengers and visitors (hotel, heritage display, viewing platform) or local education and business including space for the tech sector or perhaps a base for the Universities. This will also impact on plans for the new and soon to be master-planned ‘Mayflower Quarter’ and overall long-term plans for the city as we start consultation on our Local Plan which will determine how the city might look and feel over the next few decades.

ABP and the port are part of our city; although the land is private and ABP can do what they want in the port, their decisions affect everyone in this city, and we need to hold them to account as well as find ways to work together for mutual benefit.