UP to £150m could be spent trying to sort out Burnley's secondary schools if a bid for government cash is successful, county council chiefs have revealed.

Four new state-of-the-art schools and new library facilities could form some of the changes under the radical ideas for re-shaping education provision in the borough.

The funding would trigger a review of secondary school organisation in the town to try and tackle many long-standing problems, such as the annual admissions difficulties which led to the creation of the DIY school last year.

Specific proposals for the bid, which has to be submitted by October 31, have yet to be drawn up although the ideas were discussed at a meeting of Lancashire County Council's Cabinet yesterday.

Government resources under the "Building Schools for the Future" programme total £2.2m and about 50 to 60 local education authorities are expected to make bids. Around 10 to 20 bids are expected to be approved.

Jack Bennett, director of special projects for the county council, said he would be looking to build four new secondary schools, to open in 2009/2010, if the bid was successful.

He added that two schools were likely to be closed because of the number of surplus places in local schools -- which currently stands at 600 and is expected to increase in the future.

A major education conference for teachers and governors from all the town's schools was last month held at Turf Moor football ground to discuss the bid and its implications.

Issues discussed included the number, size and location of schools, the future of single sex schools and arrangements for children with special educational needs and for young people aged 14 to 19.

Burnley Council and the town's MP Peter Pike have both thrown their support behind the bid.

A review of primary and nursery education is already underway in a bid to tackle the problem of unfilled school places.