AN AMBITIOUS scheme to convert a former hospital into a retirement village looks set to fail.

The scheme for over 55s at Hartley Hospital, Colne, is not expected to be included in the Housing Corporation's 1998 list of successful cash applications, when it is announced shortly.

It puts the future of the landmark site, which holds a special place in local people's hearts, in doubt once again.

While a new bid could go in there is no guarantee it would be successful in the future after the Corporation said the scheme did not meet local housing needs for elderly residents.

The £5 million initiative by Staffordshire Housing Association got the enthusiastic backing of Pendle Council's ruling Liberal administration.

But much of the money to pay for the conversion of the landmark site into a self-contained retirement "village" of flats, shops and a social centre would have come from the Housing Corporation.

The council was criticised by the Government's North West regional office for backing the scheme in a recent letter concerning housing cash allocation to the authority.

Pendle mayor Councillor Jo Belbin, told the council's services committee: "I feel I'm dealing with people who fail to see what they could do with Hartley Hospital."

Councillor Tim Haigh said: "Are we not as a council to say we want that building saved and put to an historic use?

"We want something to come out of it.

"We don't want it to go to rack and ruin and this is a scheme that could come to some good.

"People in Colne will feel very very bitter about the Hartley Hospital issue and rightly so."

Councillor David Clegg revealed Housing Minister Hilary Armstrong had refused to visit or even discuss Hartley Hospital prior to a planned trip to Pendle at the end of last year, and eventually the visit was postponed.

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