CONTROVERSIAL multi-million plans to merge two high schools could be back on track just a month after they appeared dead, the BEN can reveal.

New funds from the Department of Education and Employment (DfEE) could still bankroll the merger of Little Hulton Community School and Walkden's Joseph Eastham High School.

But the news has upset parents who hoped the plans would be scrapped after a Town Hall private finance initiative (PFI) bid to build a new school building failed.

Salford Council's cabinet will meet next week to discuss new funding proposals to merge the two schools.

It needs to have funds in place before the city's schools organisational committee (SOC) meets on May 22 to decide the issue.

And a council spokesman confirmed today: "We are now fully expecting to take our proposals to the SOC.

"The DfEE have approached us and four other local authorities to look at ways they can help us with our school building problems.

"We think this is an exciting opportunity."

But Tracy Murphy, chairman of the Little Hulton Community School's action committee, said: "This is bad news - we hoped the council had not been able to find the money.

"If the school closes it will tear the heart out of Little Hulton."

The council's preferred plan is to merge both schools and run the new school on both sites while it constructs a new school building on the Joseph Eastham site.

But if it cannot secure enough funds it will apply for money to expand the current Joseph Eastham building instead.

A PFI bid failed earlier this year while £5 million of Government money will only cover its rebuilding commitments for three other city schools: Windsor, Hope and Buile Hill.

The council says it needs to merge the two schools to prevent it being fined for having too many excess school places.