Proposals to close two schools will be debated by councillors next month.

Members of the ruling Executive committee will be asked to agree a plan to shut down Temple Bank in Daisy Hill, Bradford, a school for blind and partially-sighted youngsters, transferring the children to other schools. They will be asked to give the go-ahead to a six week public consultation on closure, starting on January 15.

In a separate proposal, they will be asked to agree ambitious plans to close Bradford Cathedral Community College (BCCC) in East Bowling and merge it with Dixons CTC to create a new City Academy.

If a Government funding bid is successful, the new City Academy would open in September 2004.

Under the scheme BCCC would have to close in August 2004. But closure would only go ahead if the new Academy is confirmed.

The Bradford Academy would be split between the current Dixons site, off Manchester Road, and the BCCC site in East Bowling.

BCCC was placed in Special Measures earlier this year but has made progress since, its GCSE results greatly improving this summer.

Dixons is the Bradford district's top performing state school.

Education bosses hope the merger will create a high quality secondary school providing education for pupils of mixed abilities.

"If this scheme goes ahead, it will be a centre of excellence for pupils and help provide lifelong learning for their parents and other adults," said Councillor David Ward, executive member for education.

"It will be an integral part of secondary education provision in South Bradford and work closely with other schools in the area."

Referring to the plans to close Temple Bank School, he said: "Opening up mainstream schools for visually impaired pupils will mean there is nothing to stop these children having the same chance of academic success as any other child."

The meeting will be held on January 7.