ARCHITECTS behind Burnley’s iconic new railway station have gone bust.

But town hall bosses insist that the new Manchester Road interchange will be constructed before the fledgling Manchester-bound services are operational next May, with work starting next month.

Manchester-based design firm SBS Architects has gone under and insolvency practitioners have been appointed.

Burnley MP Gordon Birt- wistle said: “The hoardings at Manchester Road are fantastic and they tell everyone what is going on in Burnley.

”My concern is when we are going to get a building there.

“The station was due to open in December this year and while the old building has been demolished, no building work has taken place. I have heard that the architects have gone bust.”

Council leader Coun Julie Cooper confirmed that the architects had been declared bankrupt and negotiations had been ongoing after the authority was informed of the development.

She said: “We have got back on track and we will commence work on the new station on August 5, and it will be ready by the time the first of the new trains come past.”

The borough council’s regeneration director Mike Cook has said the station was scheduled to open in March.

Last month the authority stated the work had to be completed by December, in accordance with European Regional Development Fund provisions.

Council sources said March would now be acceptable and the loss after the architects went into administration is no more than £15,000.

Work is under way on a massive engineering operation to reinforce Holme Tunnel, at Cliviger, which will be twice as busy when the new Blackburn to Manchester service, via Burnley Manchester Road and Accrington, begins next spring.

Former mayor Coun David Heginbotham said ‘remarkable work’ had been undertaken by contractors, who have established a compound off the A646 to carry out the operation, which involves reinforcing older parts of the tunnel with steel.

“We can only hope that we soon start to see some of the spin-offs from that work in Burnley,” added Coun Heginbotham.