Plans for 135 riverside homes at a historic paper mill have been approved.

The mix of 78 houses and 57 flats will be built on 2.3 hectares of land next to the former Buckland paper mill in Dover.

Under the proposals, the River Dour will be fully opened and revitalised, with the introduction of riverbanks, new habitats and the creation of riverside walks and a pedestrian footbridge.

The proposal for the brownfield site, from Homes England, was approved under Dover District Council officers' delegated powers.

Phase one of the regeneration has already taken place. Loft-style flats and office spaces were created within the original main building which previously held the mill, in Crabble Hill, in 2014.

It is now called Clocktower Lofts and also includes businesses such as the Co-operative store, which opened in October 2020, and a gym.

Structures such as the former combined heat and power plant were knocked down to make way for this latest phase involving the 135 homes. The outline application for that was originally made in 2020.

Graham Margery, from the civic group the Dover Society told Dover District Council in a letter at the time: “We regard this site as one that particularly lends itself to a much needed quality development to attract professional people to the town, which will lead to its increased prosperity.

“In addition, it will open up the river corridor for the benefit of the Buckland mill residents and the wider community.”

No members of the public made written objections to the scheme.

Dover has a long history of milling because of the River Dour, which runs through the town.

This led to the opening of a number of industries such as paper making.

Further north, Crabble Corn Mill was set up in River.

A paper mill has been on the Crabble Hill site since the 18th century, and Wiggins Teape made the product in Dover until 2000.