The plan by the new council administration to create new sixth forms in the borough's secondary schools threatens to destabilise investment from private companies, Liberal Democrat education spokesman warned this week.

The private finance initiative (PFI) scheme is expected to fund £50 million worth of new buildings and repairs for the borough's secondary schools.

Cllr Bob King fears that this new ingredient of post-16 education may cause the failure of the Private Finance Initiative because calculations have already been prepared on the basis of the replacement and refurbishment of all secondary schools only.

Added to this, cash spent on sixth forms will mean that it can't be spent on badly needed replacement of existing buildings.

Cllr King said: "This is a foolhardy idea which may wreck the whole scheme to replace our worn out school buildings. While we are not against the diversification of sixth form provision in the borough, our first priority should be the securing of adequate finance so that all our pupils and teachers can work in conditions fit for the 21st century."

"Any ingredient which endangers the PFI should be firmly put on the back burner."

Conservative cabinet member for schools, Cllr Geoffrey Samuel, said that he was informed by the previous administration that this secondary PFI would be able to accommodate the introduction of post-16 education.

Cllr Samuel, said: "The secondary PFI is in its earliest stages."

"It is so early, anything is possible. He told the Liberal Democrats that we would support this PFI if it was compatible with our plans to create sixth forms in the borough."

"We met Cllr Knight and Mr Hancock and they assured me that it would be possible to introduce post-16 education with this PFI in the borough."