´óÏó´«Ã½

A £200m plan to build 4 new schools in Telford has been approved by councillors.

Under the plans, six schools will be closed and replaced with new buildings on different sites.

Most of the money for the final phase of Telford and Wrekin council's Building Schools for the Future scheme will come from government grants.

The council said it had amended some of its plans after 2,000 people responded to a consultation.

A new Christian faith school will be built in Priorslee to replace the Blessed Robert Johnson Catholic College (BRJ).

The site of the BRJ will be used for a second new facility called Charlton school, which will be rebuilt and expanded in size.

Lord Silkin School and Grange Park Primary will be merged and relocated to a new school site in Stirchley.

A 1,200-pupil co-operative academy will be built on land next to Oakengates Leisure Centre, to replace Sutherland Business and Enterprise College and Wrockwardine Wood Arts College.

The council received a letter opposing the merger of those two colleges signed by 1600 people.

Councillor Paul Watling said: "Always when we merge schools there are people for and against it but the governing bodies of both schools have unanimously agreed to move forward with the plan."

"We believe for the future this is a better deal for children and young people across Telford and Wrekin," he added.

The first phase of the authority's Building Schools for the Future (BSF) programme included the Madeley Academy, which opened last year, and the Abraham Darby Learning Community, which is due to be completed by the summer.

The second phase of schools building is due to be completed by 2016.