Demolition work begins on former Burnley school building

The old Habergham Sixth Form building in Burnley is being brought down to make way for a housing development

Burnley Borough Council had given the green light to build homes on the Kiddrow Lane site earlier in the year.

The application, submitted by McDermott Homes, will also see the demolition of the former Ivy Bank High School with a mixture of detached and semi-detached homes to be built across the site.

The owners of the site, Lancashire County Council, voted to sell the land to a developer two years ago.

Workers have been on the Kiddrow Lane site for a few weeks

The move came several years after councillors said that the land would not be used for housing.

Residents had voiced their concerns over the impact any housing development would have on nearby roads and the loss of green playing fields used by dog walkers and children playing.

At the time, Coun. Briggs said: “I am not against new houses being built but I would be very concerned if the number was 300.

“If we estimate that each household these days has two cars, then how the heck is that area going to accommodate 600 cars?"

The 250 homes will be built on the former Habergham Sixth Form and Ivy Bank High School sites

Ivy Bank, which initially opened as a girls' high school before becoming a mixed comprehensive in 1981, closed in 2006 after merging with Habergham High School to form Hameldon Community College.

The sixth form, which was formerly Burnley High School for Girls, closed at the same time.

The nearby former Habergham High School was demolished three years ago to make way for Burnley High School’s new building.