WOLFENDEN and Chalfont primary schools are officially to merge and a new school built for both sets of pupils.

Town Hall chiefs have unanimously agreed the controversial proposals to knock down both primaries at either side of Blackburn Road and build a new state-of-the-art school at land on Hibbert Street to open in 2003.

The move follows problems at both schools with falling pupil numbers and the old buildings falling into a state of disrepair.

Chalfont Street School currently has 240 pupils with 52 in the nursery. Wolfenden has 203 with 34 full-time and 15 part-time nursery places.

The new school will have a yearly intake of 60 pupils, twice that of other primary schools, and will accommodate children aged five to 11. It is to include a 52-place nursery, facilities for children with special needs and the community, something that both schools are currently lacking.

During the last few months the council and school governors have been consulting with parents on three proposals to replace Wolfenden only, reduce space at Wolfenden and replace Chalfont with a new school.

Parents of pupils at the schools, both mainly Asian, had voiced their anger at the changes, but the council has said they are necessary to ensure the quality of education for the children.

The main concern is for the safety of the children as many would have a longer and more hazardous journey having to cross busy Blackburn Road, but parents are also worried about continuity of teaching and possible lowering of standards from a larger school environment and impact on pupils.

But the council has agreed that the advantages and long-term benefits for future and the community outweighed the disadvantages of the merger.

Executive member for education Councillor Linda Thomas said the council has no choice.

"We have had joint meetings with governing bodies and parents and the decision has now been made," she said.

"To build two new schools, we simply do not have the capital.

"We accept that some children will have to cross Blackburn Road but there are a number of pelican crossings on that road already and we have a safer routes to school policy that we are also going to look at.

"The schools are about one third of a mile apart so the new school will be very much a community school.

"Wolfenden is in a bad state of disrepair and Chalfont is a Victorian building and not appropriate as a modern school any more. We want to give children the best facilities we can and this is the only we can do it for the benefit of both sets of pupils."

Both schools will eventually be demolished and part of Chalfont school's grounds will be used as a playing field for the new school.

Builders will move in to build a new school, The Gates, on Manchester Road in Westhoughton next week after a decision was made to merge Fourgates and Wingates.

And plans to merge Queen Street School and the Bridgewater Nursery into one new school on Germain Street in Farnworth are also underway.