EDUCATI0N chiefs are pressing ahead with controversial plans to replace Summerseat Special School.

Bury Council want to close the school, which helps pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties (EBD) in September, replacing it with units at Radcliffe High School and the Seedfield centre, and a new pupil learning centre at Summerseat.

But question marks remain over funding for the plans, with the council facing massive education cuts and a "pathetic" amount of cash to spend on building work.

The council's education general purposes sub-committee meeting this week approved the new plans, which were revealed last month exclusively in the Bury Times.

They consist of:

A new unit for up to 15 pupils at Radcliffe High for children aged 11-14 with problems so severe they have formal statements of special needs.

A unit at the Seedfield Centre, linked to the council's social services adolescent services team, for older children with statements who can't be helped in ordinary schools.

The closure of the residential unit at Summerseat - only two youngsters would stay in the unit were it to remain.

The new pupil learning centre at Summerseat, to be the base for services for all EBD children without statements.

The continuing use of the alternative provision project at the Mosses Centre. But the council still face problems with their plans. Their last scheme, which did not include the units at Radcliffe and Seedfield, were knocked back by the Government.

This time they have worked closely with the Department for Education and Employment in the hope that the new plans will get the green light.

One major stumbling block is the funding for new buildings - the council are relying on the sale of Summerseat's former Limefield Unit and the former Alderman Smith CP School building to raise the cash. The Government have set spending limits of just £55,000 for their education capital programme next year.

And worries remain about having EBD pupils in a mainstream school at Radcliffe.

The Tories' spokesman on the sub-committee, Coun Roy Walker, refused to back the plans saying: "I would not want a unit like this at the school where I am chairman of governors". He abstained in the vote.

Teachers representative Mr Dennis Meadows raised a series of concerns, including funding, staffing and the expertise of the staff involved.

Mr Graham Talbot, acting chief education officer, said: "All staff will be appropriately trained and qualified. We are going for high quality."

Concerns were also raised about the amount of integration of the EBD pupils with the mainstream pupils at Radcliffe High.

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