Two schools are being demolished.

Demolition has begun on the old Edge End High School in Nelson and Mansfield High in Brierfield. Plans are well under way to make use of the two school sites.

Edge End and Mansfield merged as Marsden Heights but the pupils stayed in the old schools until the new one at Bent Head in Brierfield was built as part of Building Schools for the Future. It opened in April, and now the old schools are being demolished.

Edge End will be used for replacement sports facilities after Bent Head playing fields were used as the Marsden Heights site.

Former Edge End pupil Mr David Fishwick - a leading Pendle businessman and a big Clarets supporter - is disappointed to see his old school go.

He explained that going to school creates some of the most memorable years of your life. “It’s a massive part of growing up,” he said. “I would have preferred Edge End to have stayed for at least another 50 years - and even go after me!”

Mr Fishwick, whose firm is highly successful in selling large numbers of minibuses and vans, said: “The new school is a wonderful building and helps kids to get jobs. But it is a shame to see Edge End go - apart from the fact that my mother lives across the way and now has a better view of Pendle Hill!”

Mansfield is also now being demolished and Lancashire County Council is holding talks with Pendle Council planners about how they can best market the site.

John Ferris, Building Schools for the Future project manager, said: “The site of the former Mansfield tennis courts and car park has already been transferred to Pendle Council and are being developed as a multi-use games area for community use.”

On their way at Edge End are two senior-sized football pitches, one junior-sized football pitch, a cricket square and pitch, a purpose-built club house with changing rooms and a community room - accessible to people with disabilities - and adequate car parking.

Coun. Naeem Ashraf, Pendle Council Executive member for parks and leisure, said: “The agreement between ourselves and the county council has really benefited the local community, something that was at the heart of the negotiations for both parties.

“Now we have a new, high-quality school building in Marsden Heights. And once work on the Edge End and Mansfield sites are complete, Pendle residents will gain brand new first-rate sports and games facilities.”

Work on the new sports facilities at Edge End, including appropriate drainage, will start next spring.

Mr Colin Patten, parks and recreation manager, added: “Although work on the new pitches at Edge End will be finished by the autumn of 2011, they won’t be ready for teams to play their matches on until the start of the 2012/13 football season.”

It is hoped that the new clubhouse will also be ready for the start of the 2012/13 football season, although at this stage it is “difficult to be too specific” says the council.