PARENTS and governors are being given a greater say in plans to restructure Worcester's special schools after they were delayed by two months.

Worcestershire County Council yesterday agreed to defer a decision to begin the overhaul until December because of fears the project's timetable and cost had been underestimated.

It agreed to form a "strategy group" including parents, governors and headteachers from the affected schools after hearing complaints the £1.9m to be set-aside for rebuilding work was inadequate.

Sally Wicksteed, chairman of governors at Manor Park, which will be closed, told councillors that the amount could lead to "bolt on, piecemeal development" at the city's two new schools, to be built on the site of Thornton House and Rose Hill.

"You promised education provision will be as good, if not better, than there is now. If these proposals are voted through you will be letting us down on your promise," added Mary Dhonau, from the Thornton House Parents' Action Group.

She dubbed the planned September 2006 opening dates as "so unrealistic it is hardly worthy of argument".

Councillors said that the estimates were only a starting point and would be open to change while the cabinet member for education, Coun June Longmuir, warned that if the process "dragged on" there was a danger staff would become disillusioned.

However, fellow cabinet member Coun Colin Beardwood said he would not back the plans. "Our support is conditional on this not being about finance and saving money - we said we would spend whatever it took to do the job properly," he explained.

Council leader George Lord agreed to allow the projected timetable and costings to be reviewed and brought back to the cabinet's next meeting in December.

The Evening News reported yesterday how city MP Mike Foster was appealing to the Conservative-run authority to reconsider rubber-stamping its "rushed" proposals.