Hundreds of jubilant people will take to the streets of Manningham on Sunday marching behind the first bulldozers to roll into historic Lister's Mill.

The marchers will meet to celebrate the beginning of a scheme to build luxury new flats which has taken years to realise and will give a massive boost to the area.

They will meet at the Oak Lane entrance of Lister Park at 1pm and march to Patent Street beside the mill where they will have a celebration to mark the day they have waited for throughout the last decade.

The South mill complex, with its towering 225ft tall chimney, is empty and has fallen derelict while one grandiose scheme after another hit the dust.

Residents held community events in the empty building until they were finally forced out because of flooding through the skeleton roof. Now Manningham Mills Community Association will be allocated part of the building when it is redeveloped by award-winning Lanca-shire company Urban Splash.

The £18 million development is expected to create more than 1,300 jobs and, it is hoped, will become a symbol of the city's revitalisation.

Urban Splash already has a waiting list for the 370 apartments and penthouses which will be created in the Grade II* listed building.

In December next year Urban Splash will start fitting out the mill in an 18-month contract and the first phase of the flats will be ready for occupation in 2006. Urban Splash will revitalise the rest of the mill complex in gradual phases.

Tomorrow Urban Splash will attend a special Neighbourhood Forum in Trinity Methodist Church and Centre and Lilycroft Road at 10am to discuss the development with residents.

People are being urged to attend and give their views about the development, including the amount of proposed community space.

Chairman of Manningham Mills Community Association the Reverend George Moffatt said: "This will be a wonderful weekend for the people of Mann-ingham and the rest of the district."

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