MONEY for education suites at Liskeard school and community college may be provided as quickly as spring next year.

The cash is part of the Private Finance Initiative in which a consortium of private companies will take on the responsibility for nine school buildings in Caradon. The consortium would improve, maintain and repair the buildings, following the completion of a deal which Cornwall's education committee hope will be signed by l April 2001.

A total of 32 schools in the county would benefit from the initiative, which involves a quartet of companies - W S Atkins, Innisfree, E Thomas Construction and West LB Bank, based in London.

Other schools in, and around Liskeard, to benefit would include St Martin's Church of England, Menheniot, St Cleer, St Neot, Darite and Trewidland primaries.

New education suites and other improvements will be part of the deal for Liskeard school and community college, these finally to tie together the strands of full integration on the former upper school only site.

The initiative would bring a new school for St Neot; new classrooms, hall, a servery and cloakrooms at Darite; an extension with two classrooms at St Martin's; a new hall and education room at Dobwalls; a single storey extension with library at Menheniot; an extension with a library, toilets, a cloakroom and three classrooms at St Cleer; and an extension with hall, servery and third classroom at Trewidland.

Braddock primary school would be replaced by a new school, with three classrooms and a library, at East Taphouse, near Liskeard.