BLACKBURN Infirmary went up for sale today -- with offers for the site expected to top £4million.

Hospital bosses have confirmed the site, used as a hospital since Victorian times, would be placed on the open market.

The money raised from selling the ageing building will be used to help fund the new £100million-plus super-hospital being constructed at Queen's Park Hospital.

The sale will also help reduce East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust's £4.25million debt.

It is due to open in 2006, when services provided at BRI will transfer across.

The BRI site, together with Prospect Villa car park in nearby Pritchard Street, is to be marketed both locally and nationally to developers and house builders.

Residential schemes are likely to be the only ones Blackburn with Darwen Council will approve, as the site makes up part of the Housing Market Renewal area.

A selection of developers will be picked and interviewed in early August.

Bosses today said the successful firm will have to prove its scheme is of high quality.

The trust will be removing numerous artefacts from the site, including valuable stained glass windows from the original infirmary building, for display in the new hospital.

John Dell, director of operations for the trust said: "This is a key milestone in the development of hospital services in Blackburn.

The sale of the Blackburn Royal Infirmary will release funds for the development of the new state-of-the art facilities at Queen's Park Hospital.

"The single site development will have many benefits for patients and staff by joining together services that are currently split between the two sites and providing top quality facilities and equipment."

There are a variety of hospital buildings on the site ranging from brick and slate buildings from the 1800s to modern multi-storey buildings under flat roofs.

Council bosses would like to use the site to build affordable housing to attract new people to the area.

They also want to retain the Victorian parts of the Infirmary and convert them into executive-style apartments, something they believe there could be a market for.

Residents' groups will also be consulted on what happens to the site.