MINISTERS have been accused of ‘strangling at birth’ East Lancashire’s new flagship university centres after putting a freeze on student numbers.

Alan Roff, deputy vice-chancellor of the University of Central Lancashire, has revealed there will be no government money to fund extra places for students at the two university centres in Burnley and Blackburn after 2011.

The centres, which were opened with a fanfare of publicity in September, were due to expand rapidly over the next three years.

But now a projected 250 additional places will not be filled at the Burnley campus and around 300 for the university centre in Blackburn will not be created each year, a total loss of up to 1,650 places over the three years.

The announcement comes despite around £25million of taxpayers’ money being invested in education in East Lancashire to help maximise the numbers of people wanting to access higher levels of training.

Bosses at the centres said they were seeking other funding through employer partnerships to ensure they can continue to grow.

Mr Roff, speaking at a Pennine Lancashire committee meeting, said: “So far, 1,000 full time equivalent places in higher education across East Lancashire have been created.

“But after 2010/11 there will be no extra places as the government has put an embargo on future growth.

“We have not got funding for any more places. Unless we can put political pressure on the government, we will not be able to fill the capital investment we have made, which is absolutely crazy.”

Leader of Burnley Council Gordon Birtwistle said: “The best part of £90million has been invested in the Burnley centre and now the Government can’t find funding for additional people to go to this university which will help the town’s economy.

“It is like strangling a baby at birth, we are trying to develop employable people in Burnley.

“The town is short of people to do jobs that we presently have in Burnley.

“It is absolutely atrocious, the situation is ridiculous.

"The Government should hang their heads in shame.“ Helen Mather, Blackburn College University Centre dean, said: “It is impossible to predict the future.

"We are safe at the moment and until 2011 but after that we have to wait for a funding announcement.

“The funding situation is a concern but we are looking to tackle it through a series of funding streams.

“Potentially we are looking at forming partnerships with employers for example and we are committed to the continuation of growth.”

Coun Julie Cooper, Labour leader on Burnley Council, said: “As a teacher I am a huge supporter of education and want to see maximum investment.”

Richard Ali, the town’s prospective Conservative MP, said: “Any cut to educational funding will not help get Burnley back to work.”

Mike Damms, chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, said: "It is nonsense to make such a big capital investment and not populate the place with students.

"The economy in East Lancashire is 10 to 15,000 graduate level short compared to comparable economies.

"Freezing graduate numbers is freezing an area that is already at a disadvantage.

"It would permanantly disadvantage East Lancashire."