FUNDING plans for East Lancashire’s new £9.3million university technical college (UTC) have taken a giant step forward.

Bosses at the Education Funding Agency have approved a feasibility study for the Visions Learning Trust development at Burnley’s Victoria Mill.

And later this month a planning application for the venture, backed by Training 2000, UCLan and Liverpool John Moores University, will be considered by the borough council’s development control committee.

If approval is secured for the college then doors could open to the first students in August 2013.

Council chief executive Steve Rumbelow said: “This is excellent news and, subject to planning consents, we can press the ‘go’ button on this exciting project.

“The UTC will form the foundation stone of wider plans to regenerate and breathe new life into the whole Weavers’ Triangle area.”

Work could begin on site as early as the middle of next month.