SECTIONS of Liverpool's media found itself in Heaps of bother today after reporting that the contoversial demolition of a historic rice mill was set to go ahead.

And campaigners wanting to save the mill from an appointment with the grim grinder were sent into a frenzy when news circulated the city that its fate would be sealed by councillors this coming Tuesday.

Chinese whispers added extra spice to the speculation: was the old mill doomed to be cleared before Government inspectors had chance to slap a protection order on it later this month?

After all, other cherished buildings have been removed or defaced before spot listing by English Heritage could be considered.

Flats Heaps Rice Mill 

But it turned out it was no more than a mistake in the Echo, but quickly seized on and repeated by bloggers, all saying that planning officers were recommending approval of the mill’s demolition to make way for a big redevelopment scheme.

In fact, the item recommended for approval on Tuesday is for a multi-million pound scheme next to the Baltic Fleet pub, lodged by local firm Neptune for what is known as the Joseph Lamb site. It is currently a part finished development started by the Windsor Group and halted several years ago, now, when the project hit the skids.

Facing Wapping Warehouse, the Lamb site is currently one of the biggest eyesores in the World Heritage zone, and its rescue is likely to be welcomed.

Baltic botherBaltic bother: But the Heaps mill is going nowhere yet

Liverpool City Council confirmed to Confidential that the Heap’s site is NOT on next week’s agenda.

The story was swiftly removed from the Echo’s website after council officials pointed out the error, but it was too late to be pulled from the print edition. A correction is expected to be published tomorrow.
There are currently three separate projects in that area of the so-called Baltic Triangle: Heaps, the adjoining site once occupied by merchant navy outfitters Greenbergs and the Lamb site which fronts onto Wapping.

However the story survived long enough to spark panic and SOS messages beaming across the region among campaigners and preservationists, with even the opposition Green Party sending out a press statement declaring its intention to oppose Tuesday's "decision".