Half of Bradford's Roman Catholic churches could close following a crisis review by the diocese caused by declining congregations and crumbling buildings.

Under the proposals, revealed exclusively to the Telegraph & Argus by the Bishop of Leeds, the Right Reverend Arthur Roche, the existing 20 parishes in Bradford would be merged into ten.

"This is a fresh start for the Bradford diocese," said Bishop Roche. "Nothing is final and a consultation period follows to get people's reaction to the plans."

The churches earmarked for closure are: St Mary's in East Parade; St Peter's in Leeds Road; St Brendan's in Greengates; The Church of Immaculate Conception in Leeds Road; St Anthony's in Windhill; St Aiden's in Baildon; The Church of Christ the King in Crossflatts; St William's in Ingleby Road; St Matthew's in Allerton; Sacred Heart in Thornton.

Presbyteries and ancillary buildings will also be sold if the plan, which will go out to public consultation, is approved.

The proposed ten new parishes would be:

l The Aire Valley - served by two churches, the Church of the Sacred Heart, Bingley, and the Church of St Mary and St Monica, Cottingley

l Shipley - served by St Walburga's, Kirkgate, Ship-ley, with two priests

l Wrose, Idle, Eccleshill, Ravenscliffe and Fagley areas would form two parishes served by St Francis Church, Eccleshill, and St Clare's Church, Fagley

l Leeds Road and Wakefield Road corridors - served by St Columba, Dudley Hill, but St Luke's chapel of ease in Holme Wood would be closed

l Bradford South becomes two parishes served by St Joseph's, Little Horton, and St Theresa and St Winefrid, Wibsey. St John's, Butter-shaw, would remain as a chapel of ease

l West Bradford - served by a new church built between Girlington, Thornton and Allerton and St Anthony's, Clayton, will be served by one priest but could be merged with St Theresa's, Queens-bury, in the future.

l North West Bradford - First Martyrs, Heights Lane, Heaton would serve Heaton and Manningham.

Bishop Roche said: "We have thought clearly about how we can accommodate the natural decline in the number of priests and where the populations have moved to in Bradford."

The plans also affect St Peter's Primary School in Leeds Road. The diocese suggests that the school should be demolished and rebuilt to accommodate the pupils at St Mary's Primary in East Parade, with which it is planned to merge.

That decision is still subject to discussions between Bradford Council and the Department of Education and Science.

All the churches would cater for congregations of 500. Ten churches and a few chapels of ease would serve the ten parishes. Eight would have a single priest and two parishes would have the service of two priests working together.

The T&A first revealed that the Leeds Roman Catholic Diocese had started a major review of its churches in Bradford last April.

At the time Monsignor Michael McQuinn said, if implemented, the changes would occur at varying times.

Officials working for the Bishop of Leeds have met Mark Cole, of Bradford Centre Regeneration, to discuss the future of the churches' presence in Bradford city centre and the possibilities of selling its surplus buildings.

The consultation period with congregations started today and ends on Sunday, May, 7. Consultation forms are available at all churches.