Prince Charles has highlighted Salts Mill as a shining example of regeneration at a major national conference.

In a 25-minute speech to 800 delegates at a meeting in Swindon, he showed slides of the Saltaire mill and spoke of it as a success story.

"There is huge potential out there if only we can harness it," he said.

"These projects demonstrate that you can do most of the things required of a modern economy in a British heritage industrial building. What is more, people actually love these old industrial buildings."

One of the mill's managers, Ray Shilling, said the Prince visited Salts Mill in 1996 and was shown round by the owner, the late Jonathan Silver.

"He was very impressed with how Jonathan had regenerated the mill and used it not just for David Hockney pictures, but for Pace manufacturing as well. They now employ 900 people. When he came, it stood at 750. It struck him that an old building can be converted for hi-tech users and still retain its character."

Mr Shilling was asked to produce the slides for the Prince's talk, in which he suggested that places of industrial importance should be comparable to Bath or Edinburgh.

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