TWO schools on opposite sides of a road may finally be joined if a multi-million pound bid for Government funding is successful.

Plans for a joint site at Huntcliff Secondary School, in Saltburn, will cost about £13.25m.

They would see pupils from Saltburn Primary School moved to the other side of Marske Mill Lane.

The land would then be sold for £2m.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council will put forward a bid for £12m from Targeted Capital Funding (TCF), a Government programme to help projects achieve education targets.

The plans would mean the two schools sharing some facilities, including a main entrance hall.

Pupils would have access to Saltburn Leisure Centre.

More than £3m would be needed to redevelop both schools if they were to remain on separate sites.

Funding for a new single site would provide modernised facilities.

Ruth Headdon, headteacher at Huntcliff, said sharing some services would benefit both pupils and teachers.

She said: "This will be a massive move for both schools and a major boost to the area.

"Having the children integrating in some areas will have positive effects on both the primary and secondary pupils.

"This bid will allow us to go ahead and build the new complex on the secondary site.

"As both sites stand, they need numerous repairs and, in the long run, will prove more costly. I'm sure the whole community and surrounding areas will support us in providing a better education system in Saltburn."

In addition to the proposed new school site, a children's centre would be created with funding provided by SureStart and the local health authority.

Councillor Steve Kay, Redcar and Cleveland council's Cabinet member for education, said: "These plans are creative and innovative in that both schools have always been on opposite sides of the road.

"With funding for the new build, education in Saltburn will be modernised.

"The idea is that shared facilities will maximise the benefits of investment in our schools."

Other projects in the area which are included in the bid for TCF cash include the redevelopment of Redcar's Newcomen Primary School.

Bids must be submitted by April 29. An announcement on the outcome is expected during the summer.