BOLTON Council is consulting with the Sports Council over the possibility of selling off part of Deane School's playing fields.

Education bosses say more than a million pounds could be raised to refurbish facilities at the school if grazing land and part of the playing fields are sold off to housing developers.

The sports facilities at the site are to be shared by Deane School, Woodside special school - which is to merge with Deane - and the nearby St Mary's primary school.

Mr Terry Piggott, Bolton's deputy education director, says that over the next few weeks their governing bodies will be consulted. "We want to estimate what they require and then sell land that is surplus to those requirements," said Mr Piggott.

He added that most of the land will be grazing land used by the school farm but says some of the playing fields will also be affected.

Until the consultation process is complete Mr Piggott said it is not possible to say whether the same number of playing pitches can be kept by moving their position or whether one or more will be lost.

"There is a national requirement for sporting facilities and we need to be sure we are meeting that," he said.

Mr Piggott stressed that part of the money used from the sale will be used to upgrade the current all weather pitch on the site and possibly floodlight it so it can be used for longer periods.

However, the possibility of playing land disappearing beneath new houses has alarmed Bolton North East MP David Crausby, who pledged only a fortnight ago that playing fields were safe in Labour's hands from developers.

"I am very concerned," he said.

"We really ought to be protecting playing fields at every opportunity.

"While I accept that money may well go into facilities, the loss of the land is irreplaceable."

A final decision about how much land will go will be made by councillors once the consultation process is completed.

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