PLANS to establish a private secondary school in Darwen look set to save one of the town's best-loved buildings from the bulldozers and continue a hundred-year-old tradition of town centre education.

County council bosses have agreed the sale of the former Moorland High School to the owners of the exclusive Heathland College in Accrington and Clitheroe's Moorland School.

Heathland principal John Harrison said: "Although the the deal has not been completed, the plan is to create a senior school to complement our existing Accrington site. We have applied for permission to convert part of the building to cater for boarding pupils."

"The building is badly vandalised and it is going to cost around £250,000 to put it right but ideally we'd like to take our first pupils next September." The Union Street building, which dates from 1893, was left redundant after Moorland School amalgamated its two sites two years ago.

A move to demolish the listed property prompted more than 6,000 people to sign a petition to save it.

Its future was put into doubt again last year when a £100,000 deal with developers Crowther Homes to convert the landmark into flats fell through at the last hurdle.

Councillor Derek Brindle, who spearheaded the campaign group Darwen Against Demolition, said: "I am delighted our two year battle is nearly over and that my old school is likely to be used again for education.

"It is a very popular building and I hope it continues to serve the local community for another century."

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