A PUBLIC inquiry into Blackburn with Darwen Council's right to demolish homes for a proposed £48million academy will start on Tuesday.

The Redearth triangle site is the proposed location of the controversial Darwen Academy which will replace Darwen Moorland High School.

If the public inquiry, which is expected to last six days, rules the remaining homes cannot be knocked down and the academy cannot be placed on the site, the council will be left with a £6.8million debt after the sale of the site.

A public inquiry last year found that Blackburn with Darwen Council was wrong to have ordered the demolition of homes.