Heritage Fund investment supports the future of Strand Spinning Mill

In July 2020, Portview received a £221,200 award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to help explore a sustainable future for the former Strand Spinning Mill.

The funding supported the development of a masterplan for the historic Newtownards Road site, considering how its industrial heritage could be protected while bringing more of the building back into active use.

At the time, significant areas of the mill remained underused. The project explored a future combining business, tourism, heritage, education, training and cultural activity, while considering how the site could create wider economic and community benefit.

The work also recognised that the importance of Strand Spinning Mill extends beyond the building itself. For generations it was a major place of employment in East Belfast, with strong connections to the surrounding neighbourhoods and to Belfast's linen industry.

This led to further work around the social history of the site, including the collection of memories from former workers and their families and the development of new ways to interpret the mill's heritage.

The 2020 investment helped establish principles that continue to shape Portview today: protect the heritage of the former Strand Spinning Mill, find sustainable new uses for its vacant spaces and ensure that regeneration creates opportunities for businesses and communities.

Contemporary coverage / source: Business First – Portview Trade Centre receives National Lottery funding | Duffy Rafferty – Good news for East Belfast as Portview receives National Lottery funding