THE green light has been given to a multi-million pound bid to rebuild and revamp secondary schools in Bolton.

Education bosses are to receive £82.9 million from the Government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme.

Westhoughton High, Bolton Muslim Girls School, Firwood School and Sharples High would be rebuilt in the £82 million scheme.

And Little Lever, Smithills and Ladybridge schools would have either new buildings added or undergo major refurbishments.

Following the successful bid, education chiefs will launch two further bids of £80 million which could see four more secondary schools rebuilt and nine improved.

The funding is alongside extra cash of £20 million for information communication technology teaching and £55 million from the national academies programme, giving the borough a potential total of more than £300 million funding to improve the town’s secondary education.

Bolton Council is now waiting for a start date from the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) for when work can begin.

Cllr Ebrahim Adia, the council’s executive member for children’s services said: “BSF has the potential to transform the future of Bolton and that of our children, young people and communities.

“We are delighted that the DCSF has recognised the hard work we have put into securing this valuable investment.”

The success of the bid was announced as the Government approved a separate, multi-million pound bid by the council to revamp primary schools in the borough a year earlier in a bid to help the local economy.

Now £4.2 million will be invested in schools in the 12 months from April to boost the order books of small and medium-sized businesses.