A BURNLEY councillor has claimed that plans to demolish high schools in Burnley and build five new super schools could cause "heartache" for parents.

The proposed closure of all the borough's secondary schools, plus three in south Pendle, to make way for new state-of-the-art schools is to be put out to public consultation later this year.

But Coun Dennis Otter, executive committee member, said he is concerned that the plans are being rushed through to meet the timetable set by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) in order to be included in the first wave of funding from the Building Schools for the Future scheme.

He raised his concerns at a meeting of the full council last night and borough councillors are due to meet with county councillors and officers to discuss the schools bid next week.

Coun Otter said: "I have no reservations about the need for the new schools, but we need more details about the proposals before consulting the parents.

"As a council we are not responsible for education. We have no direct influence over decisions made by Lancashire County Council, but what we want to say to them is that they are rushing this a little bit.

"We have got to get it right before we go out to consultation. We need to know exactly what we are doing or it could cause a great deal of heartache for many parents."

Burnley's bid for Government cash to transform secondary education in the borough was one of two schemes put on the reserve list for the first wave of funding, which means that it would get the money in 2005/6 if any of the 10 schemes on the short-list did not progress quickly enough.

If Burnley was included in the first wave of funding building work could start in 2006, with the first school being completed by 2008, and all seven new schools completed by 2010.

A Lancashire County Council spokesman said: "No final decisions have been taken on when schools will close or when the admissions policy will change.

"We will be holding a public consultation in Burnley and Pendle between May and July this year to seek parents' and the wider community's views on the vision for future organisation of secondary and special school education.

"This consultation will outline the proposed number, age range and location of secondary and special schools.

"The consultation will also cover timescales, proposed arrangements for admissions and schools working together to ensure that all young people have access to high quality educational opportunities."