DEVELOPERS and heritage bosses have held talks to try and resolve the future of a Burnley mill branded a death trap.

A meeting was held earlier this week after a stand-off between developers who want to knock the mill down and build a residential development and conservation group English Heritage, which wants to preserve the building.

The three-storey former cotton mill at Park Mill, Leyland Road, was earmarked for demolition to make way for houses and flats after being bought by Manchester-based Royalle Estates.

But English Heritage have decided they want to keep the building, which falls inside a canalside conservation area.

The charity's top brass are keen to preserve the mill's 100-year-old Edwardian frontage intact.

Residents, however, have called for action after claiming the site was being used as a dangerous playground.

A meeting was held between Royalle Estates, English Heritage and Burnley council on Wednesday.

Royalle Estates, which wants to build 54 houses and 40 apartments on the site but withdrew their application after the English Heritage concerns, will now go away and come back with further information about the demolition plans. A further meeting will then be held.

Ian Keller, director of Royalle Estates, said: "We had a very positive meeting and will now go away to decide how we can move forward.

"We will probably meet again at the end of September."

The company bought the Park Mill site in 2002 and submitted their planning application to Burnley council in July last year.