THE final phase of the redevelopment of a Darwen landmark has begun with the creation of 150 jobs.

A planning application has been submitted by a mystery company to transform the inside of Darwen Technical School, facing on Union Street and Knott Street, into offices.

American firm Burberry, which specialises in restoring Victorian architecture, bought the 109 year-old building in December 2000 for a fee thought to be around £100,000. So far the front of the building has been renovated, but now Burberry is trying to get the interior ready for the mystery company.

The building, which has being empty for six years since it ceased to be Moorland Lower School, is a shell after being stripped out last year. But it could have 30 offices in the three-storey building if the plans are approved by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Sally Howarth, who chairs Darwen Civic Society, was at the college for 39 years teaching craft, history, games and home economics.

She said: "It is one of the only well-built buildings in Darwen town centre. The company doing it up seems to be making a good job of its restoration, and the completed stonework looks really good. It's a beautiful building and it would have been a great shame if it had been destroyed. The Civic Society is happy it is being used positively once again."

Lancashire County Council officers applied to demolish the school in 1994 but a 3,200-strong petition collected by the Darwen Against Demolition (DAD) committee saved the building. In September 1996, plans to turn it into a private school collapsed, but then Darwen councillor Derek Brindle, the chairman of the DAD, alerted Burberry to the building.

Coun Brindle said the building's restoration would have a positive knock-on effect on the rest of the town centre as 150 new workers would spend their money in local businesses.

But he has not yet revealed the identity of the company which has agreed to take on the building from Burberry.