FIVE primary schools threatened with closure will learn of their fate next week.

Councillors will meet on Thursday evening (April 11) to rule on the controversial proposals affecting schools in Ramsbottom, Bury and Radcliffe.

The executive committee will decide whether to take the proposals, drawn up to address falling pupil numbers, to the next stage.

Education chiefs are proposing to:

Close St Paul's CE Primary School in Ramsbottom and accommodate pupils at St Andrew's CE or close both schools and build a new school on the site of St Andrew's CE.

Close Affetside Primary School.

Close either St John's CE or St Mark's CE primary in Bury.

To merge Fishpool Infant school and St Chad's CE Junior school in Bury.

To merge Radcliffe Infant and Radcliffe Junior schools in to a single primary school.

The proposals have been out for consultation and both Affetside Primary and St Paul's CE primary schools been running high-profile campaigns to keep their schools open.

The executive committee has the option of not taking the plans any further. However, if members vote for a proposal, people will have two months to lodge objections.

Any objections, along with the comments of the local education authority on those objections, would be passed on to the School Organisation Committee for a final decision.

The committee, made up of members of the Roman Catholic Church, Church of England, schools representatives and councillors, has to make a unanimous decision for the proposals to be passed.