Wirral Council has dropped controversial plans to shut Ridgeway High School as part of proposals to create two new academies in Birkenhead.

The authority's ruling cabinet said it made the decision after Ridgeway governors told them they no longer wanted to proceed if it meant the closure of the school.

The closure had been fiercely opposed by parents and community groups who had campaigned to save the school.

A meeting of the cabinet at Wallasey Town Hall on Thursday was told the proposal to create an all-boys academy was to be dropped.

The original scheme was to introduce two acadmies to the town - one a mixed-sex centre and the other boys-only facility for pupils currently at Park High, Rock Ferry High and Ridgeway High schools.

This has now been altered so that plans for only one mixed-sex academy remain on the table.

Wirral Council's cabinet member for education Cllr Phil Davies said that in the last few weeks, governors at Ridgeway had made it clear they no longer wanted to be involved in anything that would result in the closure of their school.

He said that "urgent talks" will be held during the next fortnight with governors at Park and Rock Ferry to ascertain whether or not they wanted to proceed with the academy scheme.

He told the Globe: "The new model we have come up with is in response to the governors' change of mind.

"We are not in the business of forcing major change when there is no desire for it.

"We will be holding urgent talks with governors at Park and Rock Ferry High within the next two weeks to discuss their views following this decision.

"I would be reluctant to not take any action. Pupil numbers are continuing to fall and there will be 3,000 fewer children attending those three schools by 2014 compared to 2007.

"This means that we are obliged by the goverment to take action."

He revealed that the boys' academy sponsor - Birkenhead-born entrepreneur David Hughes - would not be involved in the revised plan.

He said: "The sponsors we would like to take forward for the mixed academy would be the University of Chester, Wirral Met College, Birkenhead Sixth Form College and Wirral Council.

"This would result in Mr Hughes not having any ongoing involvement. But this is something the Department for Chidren, Schools and Families will need to sort out."

Leader of the Tory group Cllr Jeff Green said: "I am delighted that the council’s ruling cabinet has seen sense and reversed its decision to close Ridgeway High School.

"I would like to place on record my admiration for the governors, staff, parents and children of Ridgeway High and local residents for the way they have conducted themselves during what must have been a very worrying time.

"I believe this U turn has demonstrated how right it was for us to ‘call in’ this decision. We made it clear that it was wrong to close Ridgeway High, a school judged outstanding by OFSTED in order to justify creating a boys only Academy.

"I strongly believe we should be supporting successful schools not threatening them with closure."

The result of the discussion with governors from Park and Rock Ferry High will be reported to the council's cabinet on December 9.