PARENTS and children were given their say last night on whether two Victorian church primary schools in Bamber Bridge should merge.

The governors of Bamber Bridge Methodist, Wesley Street, and St Saviour's CofE, Church Road, -- which are half-a-mile apart -- have made the proposal due to dwindling pupil numbers at both schools.

The meetings, held at each school, were the second phase of a consultation period that will last until December 14.

The first action was the publication of a document by the governors last month which outlined the reasons for, and benefits of, the merger.

Next up is a meeting for councillors, Lancashire County Council officers and church officials on Tuesday, November 20. Then the governors will decide whether to proceed with an application for the merger on December 17.

The plans surfaced on June 20 this year when the governors sent a letter to parents warning a merger was being considered.

Bamber Bridge Methodist was built in 1840 and is 113 pupils below its capacity of 210, while St Saviour's, opened in 1885, is 54 short of its 175 maximum. These levels are expected to decline further in coming years.

Governors fear the schools will be unable to meet the needs of the pupils if the numbers keep falling. They say this is because the LEA sets school budgets in line with the number of pupils, so the less enrolled, the less cashthey get.

The governors propose the new school will operate on the two existing sites in the short-term, but want it to move onto a single site in the future.