A Bradford Council delegation is to meet the backer of a controversial city academy plan at the House of Lords.

Struggling Rhodesway School is set to be closed and replaced by a city academy sponsored by the unknown British Edu Trust Foundation.

The Government announced last month that the school in Allerton would be among the first 100 city academies opened across the country, by 2008.

The announcement sparked anger because teachers and councillors did not know a decision had been taken.

Now the foundation's chairman, Lord Bhatia, has agreed to meet Bradford councillors to discuss his plans.

Councillor Phil Thornton, the chairman of Bradford Council's Young People and Education Improvement Committee (YPEIC), and the authority's performance co-ordinator, Peter Marshall, will meet Lord Bhatia on Wednesday, May 17.

Coun Thornton said they intended to ask him for more information about the foundation and more details on its plans.

Lord Bhatia is reported to be interested in opening 20 city academies in the UK and Coun Thornton is to ask him if he intends to convert more Bradford schools.

City academies were created by the Government to replace struggling inner-city schools with up to £2 million provided by a sponsor and an extra £20 million coming from the Government.

The foundation is planning to open a non-faith-based city academy specialising in visual arts like Rhodesway School.

Lord Bhatia will be invited to attend a meeting of the YPEIC, which scrutinises education in Bradford, in June or July.

A feasibility study is now underway into turning Rhodesway School into an academy. Education Secretary Ruth Kelly has the final say on whether a city academy project gets the go-ahead.

It is understood Lord Bhatia has held discussions with Bradford University and the United Learning Trust, a Christian educational charity, about becoming involved in the new academy.

The British Edu Trust Foundation is a newly-formed organisation comprising Lord Bhatia and a number of "like-minded" business individuals.

At a Bradford Council meeting last month Paul Litchfield, the Department for Education and Skills' project lead for creating city academies in Bradford, declined to say who they were.

Five Bradford schools have been involved in the city academy programme so far.

Dixons City Academy in West Bowling became Bradford's first in September last year.

Bradford CE Cathedral Community College in East Bowling will be the first local education authority school to close when it becomes Bradford Academy in 2007, sponsored by social action charity TocH.

A report published this month revealed Wyke Manor School is Bradford Council's top priority for city academy status. However the DfES will not invest in a new school building on the current site because it is so close to two chemical plants.

Carlton Bolling College in Undercliffe has also been linked to the programme.

e-mail: john.roberts @bradford.newsquest.co.uk