UP to 300 boarders could eventually attend a Muslim girls’ school, which is being established in the landmark former headquarters of Burnley College.

The grade II listed original college building, fronting Ormerod Road, would be the focus for dormitories, under plans submitted by Parvez Akhter of the Birmingham-based Mohiuddin Trust.

Around 1,500 pupils in total could attend the school, which has now found a new home on an £81million campus in Princess Way.

Planning agent Derek Tandy said: “The college will be retained as a place for educational purposes and the rear buildings will remain as classrooms.

“There is a need to provide accommodation for students to remain on site during term times and I am proposing to convert the existing rooms within the front building into bedrooms.

“It is anticipated that there could be 250 to 300 students requiring accommodation once the college is established.”

The trust has said that if the number of boarders meets expected demand, there will be less traffic generated by the development.

The ground floor would hold 27 rooms, with up to 124 beds, and include an assembly hall and study rooms.

Some original toilets and showers will be kept, with new facilities installed also.

Original features of the college building such as the tuck shop would also remain.

Another 18 rooms have been pencilled in for the first floor, offering 78 beds, and the second floor is set to have 20 rooms, hosting a maximum of 101 beds.

For privacy reasons, obscured glazing would be used in some windows, such as those facing Shorey Bank.

If the proposals, now lodged with Burnley Council, prove successful then the school would be one of the first Muslim girls’ boarding ventures in the country.

The £2million college could be operational for the 2010 term and supporters say it could be a great asset for the town.

Other proposals for the college building, including its conversion into apartments, have not been progressed.