COUNCIL bosses have pledged to fight to save Blackburn's heritage, after it was revealed two developments could deprive the town of its past.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has begun talks with Railtrack to make sure at least one of the famous railway station clocks is kept within the borough.

And planning officers are now negotiating with health trust bosses to make sure that stained glass windows and mosaics contained with Blackburn Royal Infirmary aren't destroyed if the building is demolished when a new super-hospital is built at Queen's Park.

Commuters were left steaming last month when Railtrack, which has spent millions refurbishing Blackburn Railway Station, confirmed that the two Victorian clocks were not being returned to the new-look station.

They had been taken down in 1998 and it was understood at least one would return.

Currently, there are no timepieces on the platforms.

Coun Ashley Whalley, executive member for regeneration, said today: "We have begun talking to Railtrack about the clocks and we are hopeful that something will come from the talks."

On Tuesday, planning permission was given for a new £90million super hospital to be built on Queen's Park, allowing all hospital services to be provided on one site.

It means Blackburn Royal Infirmary -- which dates back to the early 1800s -- will be redundant and, because it is not a listed building, there is nothing stopping a developer from pulling it down.

Coun Dave Smith said: "I am concerned that the town will lose what are some magnificent stained glass windows and a wonderful mosaic.

"There is nothing in the conditions for the development ensuring the survival of the mosaic or the windows.

"I think it is very important that, at the very least, they are preserved for the good of the borough either in the museum or at the new hospital."

A spokesman for the council's planning department said talks would begin to see what would happen to mosaic and the windows.

He said: "Part of the project does include provision for public art and perhaps they could be built into that."

Jackie Hadwen, project manager at the Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust, said: "We can't use the windows in the walls of the new hospital because they do not conform to fire regulations.

"However, we are trying our best to find somewhere for both the windows and mosaic to go.

"It is possible we may be able to mount the windows on the wall and backlight them.

"Provision has been made for all war memorials to move across though."

A spokesman for Railtrack said they could not return the clocks to the station platform because "they would suffer weather damage."