The Radcliffe Times put these questions to Bury Council. Here are their answers: What will happen to pupils at Radcliffe Riverside High School if it does close in 2010?

There are plans for the Derby and Radcliffe Riverside to work together to ensure that the needs of pupils in Radcliffe and Bury East are met. Until the council knows the outcome of the initial consultation it is hard to say what the precise nature of the collaboration will be.

What will happen to the former Radcliffe High School site, in Abden Street, when it closes?

The council hopes to be able to market the upper school site on Abden Street for sale at some point after its closure in September 2009.

Why is the council relying on Building Schools for the Future (BSF) to fund the new school?

The cost of constructing the school relied on the capital receipts generated from the sale of the two existing school site but, due to the economic downturn it is unlikely that, if sold, the sites would generate sufficient capital to cover the costs.

The Building Schools for the Future funding is in phases, and Bury Council has the opportunity to submit an expression of interest seeking entry into the BSF programme this month. It is anticipated that if successful in securing funding, the first authorities can start to spend in 2011.

What has happened to the £5 million originally secured to build a new Radcliffe Riverside High School?

The council secured £5 million from a targeted capital grant in 2004. This has been used to meet the acquisition costs of the land for the school. In addition local funding has been provided to buy the playing fields and has funded the design works that have been carried out to date.

It is the intention that the current design of the building will be utilised for the new school.

Does the council now own the former East Lancashire Paper Mill site?

Councillor Bob Bibby, leader of Bury Council, said: “The council is committed to building a new school in Radcliffe and the council and developer have now exchanged contracts in respect to the acquisition of the site. It is anticipated that the completion of the purchase will take place in a month’s time. This signifies our continued commitment to building a new state of the art school in Radcliffe which will serve the local community.”

Will there be job losses?

Radcliffe Riverside has had to, and will have to continue to, review its staffing levels in response to a decline in pupil numbers and if Radcliffe Riverside continues to serve existing pupils beyond 2010, then clearly there will be a need for staff to be retained at the school.

The proposals are to create a new school with up to 1,200 pupils and it will be important to maintain staffing levels sufficient for this.

The proposals to develop specialism across science arts and engineering at the new school may create opportunities for staff.