National Trust engaging with locals over plans for Burnham Overy Staithe windmill 🌍

Following on from the action in June 2025, when the National Trust withdrew their ill advised plan to simply take the sails off their mill at Burnham Overy Staithe, they are at least now engaging with the public to discuss possible ways of securing the future for the mill. They attended the parish council meeting on the 8th Sept, attended by about 50 locals, with Peter Nicholson, the NT's new general manager for the Norfolk Coast and Broads in attendance. He mentioned that no exact costing had been done, but estimated it being in the £700K to £1M range which they do not have available, but the Trust wants to sort out the mill as soon as it can. Options being looked at included

• a potentially viable option of leasing the mill to an "anonymous connection" who would restore it, in return for being allowed to build a house on the site, and sometimes opening it to the public
• seeing if the Landmark Trust would take on the building
• asking the community to help raise funds towards the restoration, which could then operate as a social enterprise, such as a café

None of these options are currently given on the Trust's page on the mill, which carries the general statement

Having listened to the strength of feeling locally for this iconic building, the National Trust team for the Norfolk Coast and Broads, together with key local and regional colleagues, wish to reconsider all options. This will include efforts to gain support and fundraise to protect the fabric of the building, followed by a period to consult on options of how we might best proceed.

The newspaper report of the meeting that I'm relying on had various replies from the public, and at least as presented I have to say that none of the options seem to be popular. Hopefully minutes of the meeting will be forthcoming soon.