WORK on Burnley's £70million Oval shopping and leisure centre could be delayed by six months after retail giant Debenhams pulled out.

As revealed in yesterday's Lancashire Telegraph, developers Henry Boot is in discussion with 11 top department stores about replacing Debenhams as the main tenant after the chain withdrew from talks.

Building work was due to start on the 250,000sq ft scheme on the former Pioneer Co-op site in Curzon Street, in spring next year.

To make way for the development, buildings in Curzon Street earmarked for demolition will have to be served with a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

Now the regional man-ager for Henry Boot, Simon Dew, said work could be put back six months while a new anchor tenant was signed up and CPO proceedings completed.

He said: "Originally we said building work would start in spring 2008. That is still deliverable but it depends on how discussion go in the next few months.

"We would probably say it will be May when we make the CPO.

"That could take up to a year because there is likely to be objections and if so there will be a public inquiry.

"If there are objections, you generally factor in a year for the public inquiry to be held.

"If the CPO is served in May it will probably be a six-month delay."

Henry Boot is in talks with retailers including John Lewis, House of Fraser, Fenwicks, Marks and Spencer, Bealls and Hoopers.

Other high street names rumoured to be interested in signing up for the development include Gap, Next, and H&M and Primark. The site for the Oval development is being used as a car park by Burnley Council.

The authority has granted planning permission for the complex which will also include 500 parking spaces, and bars and restaurants.