BURY'S schools are to receive £9 million to pay for new classrooms and better facilities for children with autism and special needs.

The sum includes £3 million which is going directly to schools for their own building and repairs projects.

The investment is part of the £38.5 million Bury Council is spending on new build and maintenance projects this coming year, the council's biggest-ever allocation.

The schools budget includes:

A start on design work on the new £15 million secondary school for Radcliffe.

A new £1 million teaching block and improvements at St Luke's CE Primary School in Bury, which was created from the amalgamation of St Chad's CE Junior and Fishpool Infants. It will place all teaching accommodation on the old St Chad's site.

Three new classrooms at Chesham Primary School, Bury, costing £300,000, and another two at Wesley Methodist Primary School in Radcliffe costing £250,000.

Adaptations costing £800,000 at Elms Bank High School, Whitefield.

Specialist teaching accommodation is to be improved at Castlebrook (science) and Tottington (food technology) high schools at a cost of £100,000 each.

A £200,000 hall extension at Higher Lane Primary School, Whitefield, which is the final phase of works to amalgamate the former infant and junior schools.

A £150,000 commitment to solve the long-standing leaking roof problem at Woodbank Primary School, Bury.

£350,000 to develop a unit within a secondary school, yet to be chosen, to cater for pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

Councillor Steve Perkins, executive member for lifelong learning, said: "Bury's schools produce some of the best results in the country and the council recognises the importance of a good school environment to pupils' learning opportunities.

"We are determined to invest in the fabric of our schools and provide a good learning environment for the borough's children."