A DISUSED 18th Century Dales cotton mill is likely to be given a new lease of life as a tourist attraction.

Gayle Mill, on the edge of Hawes, is home to the world's oldest working water turbine and its architectural importance has already led to the building's recognition as a scheduled ancient monument.

The Heritage Lottery Fund confirmed in April it would contribute £500,000 towards a restoration scheme, spearheaded by the North-East Civic Trust.

On Tuesday, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority's planning committee will discuss a report which outlines a project which will see the building revitalised as a timber craft workshop, open to the public.

If approved, the number of visitors will be limited to reduce the potential for traffic problems in the area. The mill also hopes to share car parking facilities with other attractions already established in Hawes.

However, the authority's planning officers have indicated they have concerns over the safety of the mill equipment and the areas of the building which will be open to the public.

But, the report said, if the issues can be addressed, the project should be allowed to proceed.

Although it was originally built as a cotton mill in 1784, the building already has a history as a timber works.

It was converted to a sawmill in the late 19th Century and remained as such until it closed in the late 1980s.

If the proposals are approved, the North-East Civic Trust will use the Lottery grant to acquire the building, although a business plan indicates the future running of the attraction would be bolstered by the formation of a Friends of Gayle Mill organisation.

It is hoped the mill can be quickly established on the tourist trail through joint promotions with the nearby Dales Countryside Museum, the Wensleydale Creamery and the Hawes Ropemakers.

The new-look sawmill would also operate on a not-for-profit basis, crafting custom-made products from local timber.

As well as creating jobs, the trust also hopes the operation will also be able to develop as an educational facility, with a forestry training centre among the longer-term objectives.