PROTESTERS fighting to save a school vowed to battle on after it moved a major step nearer to closure.

Blackburn with Darwen councillors last night voted in favour of a £150million transformation of secondary schools in the borough.

Under the Building Schools for the Future project, Blackburn's Beardwood High School has been earmarked for closure in 2012. The proposals will now be submitted to the government for approval.

But Lesley Ham, Lancashire's neg- otiating secretary for the teaching union NASUWT, said protesters would use the month-long formal consultation period to object to the decision.

Speaking after the meeting, she said: "This could still be turned down by the government. But it's now been made public that Beardwood is going to be closed and that could do incredible damage to the school. It will be difficult securing staff to come into the school, and will put off parents from sending their children there.

"The element of debate at this meeting was minimal, but it could affect so many young lives because the school is now on a closure list."

The revamp will affect every senior school in the borough, except St Wilfrid's CE High School and Technology College.

Under the proposals, Crosshill Special School will move to a new site shared with the new East Blackburn Community School.

Witton Park and Pleckgate will both be demolished then rebuilt on their existing sites by 2012.

Darwen Vale will also undergo an extensive rebuild.

Two other schools - St Bede's and Our Lady and St John's High - will be remodelled, with parts of the schools rebuilt by 2015.

Blakewater College will be closed and the site will become the new home of Tauheedul Islam Girls' High school, which will double in student numbers to 600.

Presenting the scheme to the council's executive committee last night, Coun Chris Thayne, the member for children's services, said: "There are always situations that are difficult to manage, and we have to ensure Beardwood is fully supported during the transition.

"It's a school of high quality and it's our responsibility to ensure the school sustains the ability to deliver what it does at the moment."