A NEW proposal could be a generation of children's last chance to have a secondary school in Radcliffe.

That is the message from local politicians, who have thrown their support behind a charity's plans to open a new school for 11 to 16-year-olds by September 2017.

The ‘Radcliffe Community School’ bid is being presented by charity Chapel Street, who are asking residents to fill in a questionnaire to demonstrate that there is a desire from the local community to proceed with the scheme.

The proposals are at a very early stage and no specific location has been identified for the school, though it is understood that the former East Lancashire Paper Mill and Radcliffe Riverside High School sites are potential options.

The facility would be a free school, meaning it would be funded by the government but not controlled by the local council.

Chapel Street already runs seven such schools across the country, including two in Atherton and Burnley, and is planning to set up two more in Oxford.

A Chapel Street spokesman said: “We are at the very beginning of the bid process and are just establishing the basic proposals.

“We are inviting the community to go our website and fill in the questionnaires so that we can respond to the needs of the area.

“We will also be planning events in the community where people can give their feedback.

“Through conversations at nearby schools in Atherton and Burnley, we are very aware that there is a lack of school places in Radcliffe since the previous secondary school closed down.”

According to the charity's website, the school would have "an inclusive Christian ethos" and "ensure that every young person enjoys a uniquely personal pathway throughout their time at the school."

Radcliffe has been without a secondary school since the last pupils left Radcliffe Riverside in 2014, more than a decade after the town was promised a new high school following the amalgamation of Radcliffe and Coney Green High Schools in 2003.

A new state-of-the-art home for Radcliffe Riverside had been expected to open on the paper mill site by 2007, but those plans were abandoned in 2008 after Bury's Conservative-led council decided to instead close the Radcliffe school and build a new Derby High School on the mill site.

After Labour took control of the council in 2012, it was announced that Derby High would stay at its current site and receive a £1.2 million sports hall.

Ivan Lewis, MP for Bury South, has previously called the lack of secondary education in Radcliffe “the biggest scandal of my political career” and is backing the new plans.

He said: "Radcliffe has been left without a secondary school for far too long. At the general election last year I promised that I would work towards having a new school in Radcliffe built.

"Ultimately, only the people of Radcliffe can make this happen and I would urge them to fill in the online survey prepared by Chapel Street."

Cllr Rishi Shori, deputy leader of Bury Council, added: “I think this is a fantastic opportunity for the people of Radcliffe to finally get a new secondary school. The community needs to show support, so we would urge people to fill in the online survey.

“Ivan Lewis MP and local Radcliffe councillors are 100 per cent behind this scheme and we hope it comes to fruition.

“This may be the last chance for a new secondary school in Radcliffe for a generation.”

Mr Lewis and Cllr Shori led a campaign in 2009 to save the town's last secondary school from closure, marching from Radcliffe to the Town Hall and taking the issue to Parliament.

To take the survey, visit www.radcliffecs.co.uk