COUNTY councillors are due to take the first steps today in deciding whether to close seven primary schools in east Kent as part of drastic plans to deal with plummeting pupil numbers.

Dozens of opponents from the schools on KCC's hitlist were expected to stage a protest outside County Hall and to lobby councillors ahead of a meeting of the KCC's cross-party Schools Organisation Advisory Board.

It will consider whether to back the the first phase of a controversial wide-ranging programme of closures and mergers aimed at dealing with 14,200 empty desks across the county.

Education chiefs have set out plans to close seven primary schools in east Kent as part of its strategy to deal with 1,553 spare places in the area. A drop in the birth rate is being blamed for the large number of spare places.

The schools that could be closed include Goodnestone Church of England Primary School and St Joseph’s Roman Catholic School in Aylesham. Three in Dover may also shut: St Radigund’s School; Langdon Primary School and Ripple School.

Schools that could be merged are South Deal and Mongeham School and Melbourne School and Powell School.

KCC says it has no option but to consider closures because the falling birth rate has left it three times the number of surplus places in east Kent than recommended by the government.

However, parents and governors at all of the schools affected have vowed to fight to save them.

Cllr Leyland Ridings (Con) KCC’s cabinet member for schools, said: "Dover has the largest number of surplus school places in the county. Each empty space costs about £250 - the equivalent of £3.5million watsed every year.

"The problem is not going to get better, in fact it will become much worse so doing nothing is not an option. I truly believe we are acting with the best interests of the children at heart."

If county councillors back the plans, KCC will begin a formal consultation on the closures and mergers.