State of roof at converted mill slated by Barnard Castle town councillors

URGENT repairs to a beleaguered former mill have been backed by town councillors.
Thorngate Mill, in Barnard Castle, has been dogged by cracked and leaking roof slates since it was converted into housing in 2005.
If given the go-ahead from county planners, the grade II-listed building will be repaired with new Heather Blue Penryn Welsh Slate after the old sandstone there fell away.
Town mayor Cllr John Blissett agreed the repairs needed doing.
“They need to get it done once and properly,” he added.
Cllr John Yarker said: “That’s what you get when you go for the cheapest materials.”
A statement on behalf of
the developers blamed “poor workmanship”, incorrect alignment of drains and the “poor quality and defective” slates for the ongoing problems.
It added: “The proposed works are required as a matter of urgency to address serious deficiencies in the existing roof finish, arising from failures of the original roof contractor.” 
Problems with rainwater run-off at the five-storey site would be remedied with new cast iron gutters and pipes. 
Cllr Frank Harrison recalled a similar problem with the roof of Charles Dickens Lodge in the town. 
An application to repair the five-story mill was made back in March to repair the roof
but the proposal was withdrawn.
Thorngate Mill dates to the 1840s and produced wool on the banks of the River Tees for decades.