An iconic former mill building in Braintree town centre will be converted into eight flats.

Braintree Council has approved developer Rob Williams' plans for Pound End Mill, in South Street.

The building was first built as a textile mill in 1813, eventually being bought by the Courtauld family in 1817.

The grade-II listed building was most recently used as a warehouse, but fell into disrepair and is now used by squatters.

However Mr Williams plans to convert the premises into eight apartments, four one-bed and four two-bed.

Four parking spaces will be created at the 0.06 hectare site, roughly a quarter the size of a tennis court.

Mr Williams has completed several similar renovation projects including at Cullen Mill, Witham, and Victoria Avenue, Southend, and the property developer said he wants to restore Pound End Mill's historical splendour.

A planning statement by BDA architecture states: "When constructing this proposed development our client has openly conveyed their passion for minimising their carbon footprint and take every opportunity to implement other environmental strategies where possible, for example using suppliers that only source their materials from sustainable sources and using local suppliers where possible to eliminate excessive delivery distances on lorries."