TWO Bolton primary schools are facing the threat of closure.

Education chiefs are considering merging the two schools and then closing them both when a new one is built.

The controversial plans have already met with a furious response from parents at both Halliwell schools -- Chalfont Street and Wolfenden primary.

A site in Hibbert Street is already being considered for any resulting merged school.

The merger plans are the latest in a number which have affected primary schools in Bolton.

Parents at Fourgates and Wingates schools in Westhoughton initially raised concerns over plans to merge the two into a new school - The Gates on Manchester Road.

The LEA is also well underway with plans to merge Queen Street School and the Bridgewater Nursery in to one new school on St Germain Street, Farnworth.

Parents have been told education chiefs are considering three options -- closing Wolfenden School; reducing space and refurbishing Wolfenden School and closing Chalfont School, or combining the two schools in one new site.

Education chiefs have made it clear their preferred option is a merger. They say action is needed because of substantial surplus places at Wolfenden School and have obtained power to apply for economic help to rectify the situation.

But parents from both schools, who have been debating the options at a series of well-attended and stormy meetings, are united in saying they do not want to see any type of change. Chalfont Street school currently has 240 pupils in its main school with 52 in the nursery.

While Wolfenden has 203 pupils with 34 full-time and 15 part-time nursery pupils.

The schools are just streets away from each other separated by Blackburn Road.

The earliest any work under the scheme could start is September 2003. Both schools have predominately Asian pupils.

Zubeda Patel, parent-governor at Chalfont Street Primary School, said: "We don't agree with these plans or the amalgamation and we have got very strong petition together. We just want to keep our school as it is. Our school was really low in status but it has now been transformed and is very successful."

Concerned parent Bilkiss Patel added: "We have had our school for too long for it to close. The majority of parents have been very, very strong in saying no.

"It is going to cause chaos and severe health and safety problems. It will be like a high school, and we don't wont a high school. We also think education will suffer. The kids know all the teachers very well on a one-to-one basis. Doubling this up will just not work."

Parents at Wolfenden School are also against the merger plan. Many walked out before the third consultation meeting held at the school on Thursday evening had finished. Parents also fear children must cross busy Blackburn Road to get to school -- as the proposed new site is nearer to Chalfont than Wolfenden School.

One parent said: "The majority of people in our area do not want this meeting. We want to know how we can save our school. We want our school to be improved and the rest spend at Chalfont."

Another added: "The people who are going to make this decision do not know about our area. Even the kids do not like the idea.

"It seems like the plans have already been drawn up and now they are just asking us for our opinions."

A working group has been established, comprising representatives from each school and Bolton Council to develop the options and collate the results of the consultation exercise.

Bolton Council's assistant director of education Chris Swift told the BEN: "The key objective is to get the best for all the children in the community, for both now and in the future. We think we have got a way of doing that by amalgamating the two schools. Both the schools are good schools, we have every confidence in that.

"But if we can give the two schools a single new school it will be a better learning environment for the 21st century."