AMBITIOUS £90million plans to rebuild Bridgwater's secondary schools cleared another hurdle last week when they won the backing of Somerset education bosses.

Somerset County Council's executive board gave the thumbs-up on Wednesday to an outline business plan for the project - which will see Haygrove, Chilton Trinity, Robert Blake, East Bridgwater, Penrose and Elmwood schools replaced by new, state-of-the-art campuses.

The business plan will now go to the Government's Partnership For Schools for approval, probably in June, before private firms are invited to bid for the contract.

David Taylor, the corporate director of Somerset County Council's Children's and Young Peoples' Directorate, said: "This is great news for the people of Bridgwater.

"It will be the catalyst to embrace fully the transformation of learning in Somerset.

"It is not just about new buildings - it's about working with schools to bring about a transformation in the way that our children learn.

"I am very grateful to the head teachers and school governing bodies who have worked with the programme team to get us to this important milestone."

Under the plans, Robert Blake Science College and Elmwood Special School would be demolished and rebuilt on the current Blake site, and would house 900 pupils.

East Bridgwater Community School and Chilton Trinity Technology College would be rebuilt on their existing sites, but would offer extra community services.

Haygrove School and Penrose School would be built together on a new greenfield site, with 1,050 pupil places.

Construction is likely to begin in 2010 and end in 2012, with the first of the new schools completed by 2011.