PLANS to merge six special schools to"transform" the way disabled children are taught will go to the consultation stage.

Brighton and Hove City Councillors discussed the proposals which would impact around 430 pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) for more than two and a half hours and voted in favour of looking more closely at the plans.

The local authority will also consider proposals to merge two pupil referral units in a move Coun Tom Bewick, children, young people and skills committee chairman, said was driven by the need for “modernisation” and “transformation” and not cost-cutting.

Nevertheless, if the plans go ahead, the council is set to save £1.5 million which officers insisted would be re-invested in frontline services.

Counc Bewick added: "I'm very aware of strong feeling that exists out there but I’m not going to flinch away from modernisation and transformation of this important public service.

“If we get into a climate where we are just afraid to take on some of the vested interest that will inevitably coalesce around this agenda, we may as well pack up and go home and not change anything.”

Conservative councillor for WithdeanKen Norman said: “The transition period has been looked at for some while and we all know changes for the better takes time.

“We must always monitor and make sure it improves and we must never be complacent.

“Some people and members seem to believe doing things in a different way the council loses control of the services, I don’t see it that way.

“We know the detail is still to come and I’m sure we have the expertise to move this forward.”

If approved, the plans aim to give parents more control over their child’s budget and provide a “one-stop shop” for those needing specialist education from the ages of 0 to 25.

Regan Delf, interim assistant director for children’s and adult services for SEND/LD, said: “We’re not going to step back from high quality but at the same time we have to look at where we can improve our services.

“People are autistic when they are children, teenagers and adults, so it’s a matter of looking at that in the same pathway.

“We’re not totally sure if this is the right thing to do, we want approval to consider whether this is the right thing to do.”

The proposals did not get cross-party support with Green councillors Phelim Maccafferty and Alex Phillips opposing entering the consultation period.

While Coun Phillips raised concerns over the council’s ability to make sure a consistent education carried out, Coun Maccafferty said: “For me, some of the issue of the logic here has gone a bit skew-whiff.

“By by completely merging are we by default saying that certain children and adults are going to get a poorer deal and certain children and adults are going to get better.

“I don’t think some areas have been fully thought through.”