A MUSLIM school could be knocked down to make way for 86 new homes in Bromley Cross.

Trustees at the Islamic College, in Hospital Road, have put in a bid for the recently-closed Crowthorn School in Edgworth.

If their application--which had been lodged ahead of a September 27 deadline -- is approved, they would move out of Bromley Cross within months.

The Islamic College would then be demolished, allowing developers for Barratt's Homes to move onto the site.

A planning application for the new homes was passed in January 2001 and since then college trustees have been looking for new premises.

They were about to put pen to paper on a site in Leyland shortly before last year's September 11 attacks. Yousuf Bhailok, secretary to the board of trustees at the college, said the American owners of the land pulled out of the deal, having second thoughts about selling to a Muslim concern.

They are now confident of securing Crowthorn, a residential school for special needs children closed by the National Children's Home in June.

Since it was a boarding school -- the same status enjoyed by the Islamic College -- trustees do not believe much modifying work will need to be carried out. They would be able to move in within months of securing the building.

The Islamic College, which currently occupies a 25,000sq ft area, has 120 residential pupils and 30 children who attend during the day, each paying £1,350 for the academic year.

But trustees for the charity which runs the college want a larger building and Crowthorn, at 90,000sq ft fits the bill perfectly.

The pupil in-take would be gradually doubled to 300 at the school which next year celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Mr Bhailok said: "We have had an attractive offer from Barratt's but that is not the reason for selling our current site.

"We need to expand with new classrooms and a prayer centre. That can't be done in Bromley Cross because of a lack of space and also because there's an issue with trees being listed.

"The good thing about Crowthorn is that there would be no change in usage and we'd be able to move in quickly."

Pupils at the college are drawn from around the country. They take a six-year course which includes some GCSEs and A-levels but mainly Islamic Studies.

Recently the college has tied up a deal with the University of Central Lancashire which now recognise's its pupils qualifications as being on a par with mainstream schools.

The plans to create the new homes have been controversial, however.

Although backed by members of Bolton Council planning committee, Bolton and District Civic Trust had objected to the proposals to bulldoze the college since it is in a former hospital building built in 1896.

There are also fears that further traffic from the 70 two-bedroomed apartments and 16 detached houses would add to existing congestion in Bromley Cross.