CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a new super-school on Towneley playing fields have been left outraged after the government denied them a public inquiry.

And they accused ministers of "riding roughshod" over the people of Burnley.

Despite a 1,500-name petition calling for an inquiry, the Secretary of State Ruth Kelly has ratified Lancashire County Council's approval of the scheme for the 1,050-place Unity College on the land, which has been described as a Jewel in Burnley's Crown'.

A spokesman for the Mrs Kelly's Department for Communities and Local Government said there needed to be "exceptional circumstances" for a public inquiry and ministers had decided there were none in this case.

Now campaigners are hoping Burnley Council refuses to sell or swap the land with the county council, which would automatically trigger a public inquiry.

Proposals would see a 1,050-place school and city learning centre to take over from Towneley High School with the new school known as Unity College.

The plans, part of the £250million Building Schools for the Future scheme, also include demolition of Towneley School, and restoration of that site to parkland.

Liberal Democrat leader Coun Gordon Birtwistle, said: "The county council rode rough-shod over people's opinions and the government are carrying on in the same manner.

"They will put these schools where they want with no concern over the people they affect or the fact this is one of our open spaces. It would ruin the environment and create serious flooding."

Chair of Fulledge Action Community Team, Margaret Nelson, said: "The government has completely ignored the people of Burnley and the council and its planning department, which voted against this scheme. For them to go against that is outrageous."

Avril Henson from Burnley Friends of the Earth said: "This is a very sad day. This is going to destroy fields and wildlife and it is an unsuitable location for a school."

Ian Galbraith, secretary of Towneley for the People, one of the groups fighting to prevent the building, said the group was objecting on grounds including the loss of parkland, that more suitable alternative sites were available and because the county council was deciding on its own planning application.

Mr Galbraith said the fact there would be no public inquiry was "bad news".

He said: "This is not the end of the battle and we will continue fighting as hard as we can and for as long as we can.."

However, news that there would be no public inquiry was welcomed by supporters of the scheme, including former Burnley MP Peter Pike.

He said: "Hopefully the council will co-operate and not stand in the way of the county council."

Burnley councillors have already passed a motion agreeing to refuse to sell or swap the land with the county council and the Liberal Democrats' success in last week's local elections makes that course of action more likely.

Any battle between the two authorities over the land would cost in the region of £30,000 for an inquiry and would take around a year, although the effect on the overall Building Schools for the Future scheme would be minimal as the schools are among the last to be built.