A LOCAL councillor has vowed to carry on fighting for his beloved Darwen Technical College after a bid to the buy the premises collapsed at the eleventh hour.

Coun Derek Brindle who has spearheaded a campaign - Darwen Against Demolition - for the past four years said he was 'extremely disappointed' after the sale fell through.

Owners of the Heathland College in Accrington and Clitheroe's Moorland School have decided not to buy the Union Street building due to planning problems and the failure to secure nearby Sett End playing fields.

The collapse of talks between the college and Lancashire Council College has put the future of the former Technical College in doubt for the second time in three years.

Developers Crowther Homes also but the buildings future in jeopardy when it pulled out a £100,000 deal to convert the landmark into flats at the last minute. Now Councillor Brindle is urging college principal John Harrison to reconsider his decision.

"This is extremely disappointing news for the town. After four hard years of campaigning we eventually thought we had found a buyer but it has fallen through at the last minute. But we will fight on until the future of the building is secured."

The councillor and members of Darwen Against Demolition collected more than 6,000 signatures in a petition to save the listed building from the bulldozers.

Previous news story

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.