A DATE is yet to be set for the outcome of a consultation into plans to merge two East Lancashire colleges.

A formal proposal to join Accrington and Rossendale College and Burnley College was published in December as part of government plans to overhaul post-16 provision.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The Department for Education (DfE) said the college area review, which also includes Blackburn College, St Mary’s College in Blackburn and Nelson and Colne College, will be published in due course.

It has now been revealed that the principal of Accrington and Rossendale College Sue Taylor stepped down in January as part of the merger plans which aim to align provision and provide joint financial stability.

Hyndburn MP Graham Jones said: “As part of the college merger plans to help reduce costs in line with funding Sue left the college in January .

“She played a part in the merger plans and then decided to take early retirement.

“The consultation is to help the colleges deal best with the ongoing government cuts.”

The Broad Oak Road college was downgraded from 'outstanding' to 'requires improvement' in June with Ofsted criticising the college’s leadership and teaching.

It was also issued with a notice of concern for financial health in December 2015 with the government’s skills minister at the time Nick Boles warning the college faces ‘significant financial challenges’ and a ‘challenging future’.

It is understood Lynda Mason has taken over as interim principal.

Mrs Taylor joined the college in 1999 and was made principal in August 2013.

A DfE spokesman said: “We don’t normally set a date for revealing the results of a consultation.

“It will just be released in due course.

“There is normally a lot to go through with this sort of work. We can't to be more specific."