THE purchase of Townsford Mill and new owner John de Bruyne’s plans to convert it into a hotel, a cafe and bar are a good indicator of our town’s value and future potential.

Although Mr de Bruyne has not disclosed how much he bought it for, the historic building was on the market for not far south of £1 million.

The businessman has some links to the area, but would not have forked out such a hefty sum without believing such an investment will get a decent return.

He believes the town would be a good base for tourists, not only as an attractive place to visit in its own right, but also as a base to tour some of the villages and countryside surrounding us.

Living here means it is easy to forget Halstead’s appeal to visitors, not least the appearance of the town which has led to a string of In Bloom awards, and the plentiful independent shops and cafes that still proliferate our town centre.

We must wait to see the finer details of Mr de Bruyne’s plans as they’re drawn up, but this is a promising pitch.