FIVE companies have submitted tenders to build the £13 million Higher Education block for Blackburn College.

The development, the second phase of the college's masterplan to become a "world-class" campus, was recently given planning approval by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Construction tenders have been submitted to the college's chartered surveyors Pearson Fraser of Bury.

They will then be assessed with the final decision being made early in the new year.

Work on the five-storey block, which will cover more than 7000 sq m, is expected to begin in early February with completion in summer 2009.

The one-acre site, which is currently a long stay car park, lies between Barbara Castle Way and the current Blackburn College campus.

The building, which will cater for an expected 30per cent rise in student numbers within the next three years, will be wholly energy efficient and sustainable with facilities for rainwater harvesting and solar panel water heating.

The construction follows the completion of the first phase, the St Paul's Centre - the £8.8 million building housing sixth form and computing was opened in September.

Funding for the new HE building will come from the Higher Education Funding Council and the North West Development Agency, with the remainder from the college reserves and borrowing.

College principal Ian Clinton said: "It is a visionary and ambitious project and one which will help us continue to develop the very best of educational standards which have now put Blackburn amongst the top colleges in the UK."

Feedback on the masterplan can be emailed to Mr Clinton on masterplan @blackburn.ac.uk.