EDUCATION bosses were today celebrating a government cash boost which will help ease their headache over shortages of secondary school places in the Ribble Valley.

But an immediate row blew up as Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans accused the county council of planning to use the money to take away Clitheroe Royal Grammar School's status "through the back door."

Lancashire County Council's bid for £1.8million to pay for 308 new places - and the possibility of a new high school - has been approved by the government.

Feelings ran high earlier this year when angry parents held a public meeting and blasted the council's admissions policy in the Ribble Valley which they said split communities and meant many children had to travel to Accrington.

Letters of protest were sent to Education Secretary David Blunkett and parents won the backing of Ribble Valley MP Nigel Evans.

In 1998 similar problems cropped up when parents in Clayton-le-Dale and Salesbury threatened to keep their children away from school rather than send them to Hyndburn.

County Coun Education chairman Hazel Harding said: "I am glad the government has recognised the need for additional secondary school provision in the Ribble Valley again this year and have responded with £1.8million of extra resources which will provide 308 more places.

"Some of this funding will be used to meet commitments we have already made to provide additional places in the Ribble Valley. "I am recommending that we make additional places permanent, including the possibility of developing a new high school in the area, possibly incorporating provision at Bowland High School.

"Local people are concerned that Ribble Valley schools are for Ribble Valley children so I will be asking Clitheroe Royal Grammar School to consider changing their admission policy so that all the existing 120 places at the school are made available to the residents of the Ribble Valley.

"I am aware that the school will not be able to commit to this change until 2001, so I am requesting the school admit 10 additional pupils for the coming year only.

"We have been listening to parents and local headteachers and I think that these proposals are a sensible and realistic way of improving parents' ability to send their children to a local school."

Conservative MP Nigel Evans said: "This is pathetic. Hazel Harding is trying to change the grammar school status of Clitheroe Royal Grammar School through the back door.

"It is for parents to vote for any such change. If Hazel Harding has been given extra money she should make sure it is spent on preventing children having to be bussed out of the area."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.