Councillors have called for Catholic education bosses to reconsider a proposal to close three secondary schools in Bradford.

St Joseph's Catholic College in Manningham, St Bede's Grammar School in Heaton and Yorkshire Martyrs Catholic College in Tong are set to be replaced with one school by 2008. The new co-educational school, initially split across the St Bede's and St Joseph's sites, would be the district's biggest.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Leeds, which runs Catholic secondary schools in the district, wants amalgamation because of falling numbers.

But at the Young People and Education Improvement Committee at City Hall last night, councillors and parents were critical. Councillors voted for a recommendation calling for the proposal to be "reconsidered to include secondary provision in the south Bradford area" over fears more than 500 non-Catholic pupils could be left with no school.

Councillor Phil Thornton (Lab, Windhill and Wrose) said the proposal would "reduce the number of places in Bradford South". He was also concerned after Governors at some Catholic schools claimed they had not received a consultation document. Coun Ralph Berry (Lab, Wibsey) said all three schools continued to make a "contribution to the life of Bradford" and was concerned about the size of the new school.

Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) Bradford branch secretary Phillip Shackleton said the plan had left teachers at each school in the dark. "We have had no discussions addressing exactly what is going to happen to teachers at all," he said.

Mum-of-three Sharon Ratnik, a governor at St Columba's Catholic Primary School in Dudley Hill, handed in a 500-name petition against the idea. She said: "The parents here tonight feel we have been let down. We also feel a lot of the staff have been gagged, as well as the governors. Well I am not going to be gagged. We are driving Catholic families away."

Parents suggested the diocese ought to look at keeping two schools open instead.

Some of the strongest criticism came from Anthony Mugan, head of Bradford Council's education client team. He said: "We feel there are a number of serious problems with the proposals as they stand.

"The proposals do not adequately reflect the very significant number of children of school age arriving from eastern Europe. The majority of these children are of Catholic heritage."

But parent John Booth, whose son attends St Francis' Catholic Primary in Bolton, believed the plan "represented the best possible solution for the continuing Catholic education of children in Bradford".

Governors from the schools and an independent Catholic panel will now examine the concerns expressed before a second consultation period takes place.

e-mail: dan.webber@bradford.newsquest.co.uk