WORK is set to get under way to transform an historic former hotel in Nelson into a new £1million mosque and community centre.

Council bosses in Pendle had threatened to move in to repair the delapidated Spring Bank Hotel, in Manchester Road, as it was in danger of collapse.

But officials from the Forest Street Mosque claim scaffolding is ready to be installed to stabilise the building, subject to town hall approval.

Project spokesman Nisar Ahmed said there had been difficulties with contractors over the past 12 months.

Originally known as the Spring Bank Cottage, the Grade Two listed former hotel dates back to the 1880s, when it was built as a gentleman's residence.

Later it became known as the Groves Hotel, and was also home to Hawthorne's nightclub for a time.

But the hotel had closed by the turn of the century and was the site of a major fire in July 2001, which took more than 40 firefighters over four hours to bring under control.

Mr Ahmed said work on the first phase of redeveloping the site could now begin.

He said: “We have worked hard on this and there has been a lot going on behind the scenes. We have always kept the council informed of what has been going on.”

He told the Nelson area committee that the site’s purchase price of £850,000 had been raised through street collections over the past two years and another £150,000 would pay for the current works.

But Coun Sonia Robinson said: “We all understand that the people of Pendle have great regard for this building and we do not want to see it, month by month and even year by year, fall into decline."

Coun Nadeem Ahmed said if a short delay could be approved for the developers, it would prove beneficial for the residents and the mosque’s supporters.

Council regeneration director Brian Cookson said once further checks on the scaffolding designs had been carried out by the Health and Safety Executive, then it would be possible to begin work.

The committee voted to defer taking action at the development until the end of January.