A councillor is to ask the Local Government Ombudsmen to investigate a controversial decision to close two special schools in Bradford.

And Councillor David Ward (Lib Dem, Idle) has called on education committee chairman Councillor Susanne Rooney to stand down if any inquiry finds her department had acted improperly in its decision to close Greenfield and Heaton Royds Special Schools.

"The consultation exercise was a joke and the committee that made the decision were not given all the facts," said Coun Ward, who is a governor at Greenfields in Idle and the Liberal Democrat group's education spokesman.

"The committee was told they had received a handful of forms about Greenfield and most were in favour of the closure. But they weren't told about a petition with 467 names on it opposing the closure."

Coun Ward claims the omission tipped the balance in favour of those who wanted to go ahead with the closures.

But Coun Rooney, who refused to comment on whether she would resign over the matter, said: "I believe I was given full information by officers about the consultation procedure. I believe I gave full facts to my members and the decision followed.

"If this matter has been referred for some sort of legal investigation, it would be inappropriate for me to give any further detail."

The decision to close Heaton Royds in Redburn Drive, Shipley, and Greenfield in Idle, Bradford, came as a shock to staff and parents when it was decided by the education committee in December.

Up until the meeting, it had been believed that the council wanted to close Greenfields and merge it with Heaton Royds on a new site.

Coun Ward said he was so convinced of his case that he will be calling in the Ombudsman and was also making formal objections to the Department of Education.

And he offered to resign his seat if he was proved wrong, if Coun Rooney would make the same offer and stand down if he is right.

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