PLANS to merge two Southampton schools to reduce up to 400 empty places across the western part of the city have been backed by Southampton councillors.

Amalgamating Mansel Infant and Junior in Millbrook into a single primary school was the option which received the overwhelming majority of votes by teachers, parents, governors and residents during six weeks of public consultation.

Under the plan, the 126-pupil infant school, which has 54 surplus places, and the 161-pupil junior school, which has 79 spare places, would form a 210-place primary school.

Mason Moor Primary would be reduced in size from 315 places to 210.

Both Newlands Primary (420 places) and Redbridge Primary (210 places), which have together received more than £5m of government money to be rebuilt would remain the same size.

Tanners Brook Infant (270 places) would reduce in size to 180 places and Tanners Brook Junior would see its places drop from 360 places to 240.

The plan, backed by the city council's lifelong learning and training scrutiny panel, took elements from six different options put forward by education chiefs to remove places across the seven city schools across the Millbrook and Redbridge area due to falling birth rates.

Current population forecasts show that one-in-five classroom places will be empty by 2008.

Vice chairman of the scrutiny panel Councillor Adrian Johnson said: "We have listened to the views of the schools themselves and the views of the local community and they think it is the best way forward."

The final decision on the future of schools in the area is likely to be made in September this year. Cabinet member for education, Councillor Calvin Horner will decide on the final proposal for consultation on May 23. He said: "Scrutiny went through all the issues. I will take all their proposals on board when it comes to a consultation."