PLANS to bulldoze Radcliffe's two high schools and replace them with one new school have been welcomed by both sets of governors.

The Radcliffe Times last week revealed details of the idea being explored by council bosses to close Coney Green and Radcliffe High.

In a joint statement, the governors said: "We believe that the details released thus far represent an exciting opportunity for the students and staff of the two schools in particular, and for the local community in general.

"For both schools, the plans present a sensible way forward for the foreseeable future. They will present students with a range of up-to-date educational opportunities that will enable those starting secondary education as early as September 2003 to embark upon examination courses that will be supported by state-of-the-art facilities.

"They will offer staff opportunities for professional development not currently available to them. In addition, the plans will provide the community of Radcliffe with a range of educational, health and leisure facilities that will be the envy of many other communities."

Coun Steve Perkins, executive member for lifelong learning, said a new school could be built on either of the two Radcliffe sites, but a third location would be cheaper and not cause disruption while it was being built.

He was unsure whether the current school sites would have to be sold to part-finance the scheme.

The plans for Coney Green and Radcliffe High are part of borough-wide proposals which could bring in £40 million to improve local schools.

Council bosses are considering raising the necessary cash through the controversial Private Finance Initiative (PFI).

Councils cannot borrow the vast sums necessary to bring schools up to 21st century standards, but under PFI, a private developer would put up the money to build the new school and run it for a fixed period before handing it back to the council. During this time, the council would pay back the capital costs and provide annual sums to the company to maintain the school.

Coun Perkins has stressed that no decisions have been made yet, and there are a lot of steps to go through if the PFI project is to succeed.

Governors at both schools said they will now embark on a period of full and wide-ranging consultation to ensure that the plans are developed and enhanced in such a way that the aspirations of all sectors of the community can be met.

The statement added: "We look forward to playing a full and active role in carrying these plans forward over the coming weeks and months."