Plans to close schools in the Keighley area could be revised after Bradford council was flooded with alternative proposals.

The council has been deluged with 25 petitions and 4,500 letters about the proposals it announced at the start of April. Now it is believed to be back-tracking on some of the proposals.

Among its plans are for all middle schools to be closed, and for first schools to be upgraded into bigger primary schools.

Jim Flood, chairman of the council's education committee, says he is confident the huge public response will lead to changes from the original draft.

He says: "We always expected there to be changes to the original consultation. The process has been extensive and exhaustive, and officers have been in dialogue with schools in the district. We never claimed the inital review was 100 per cent perfect, and since then we have been in consultation with a number of schools. Officers are now working on reports that will come to the committee later this month.

"On the whole, the process has been one which has achieved its ends, and has been respected by those who have been involved in it."

Opponents of the education reshuffle say the review has been a smokescreen to cover up the closure of middle schools in the district. Concern has also been voiced by parents who believe there will be a lack of secondary school places in the Keighley area.

To this end, Parkside Middle School in Cullingworth has submitted proposals asking for a change to secondary school status. The move has the support of Bradford conservative leader Margaret Eaton, who is pleased about the possibility of secondary school education in Cullingworth.

She says: "I am very pleased and encouraged about the possibility of secondary school education at Parkside. I think the process has been flawed."

Oakbank School has also submitted proposals to take over the site at Bronte.

Parents and governors at Oldfield First School have also been vociferous in their fight to keep the rural school open.

The deadline for comments and proposals has now passed. Decisions will be announced on June 23.

Shake-up latest, page 9

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