Following a six-week public consultation, they have decided that Lismore Primary in Bingham and Bonnington Primary in Leith will close at Christmas, while Westburn Primary in Wester Hailes will shut next June.

Parents are being sent letters today to inform them of the education department's decision, in a move which is likely to spark a fresh wave of angry protests.

A review of the school estate was carried out following a massive decrease of 6000 pupils in the city in the last ten years, meaning there are currently 9500 spare primary school places.

It has been revealed that the depleted numbers in the three schools are costing the council as much as £16,000 per pupil per year, compared to a city average of £3000. Education leader, Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, today insisted all savings made on buildings costs will be ploughed back into city schools.

It has been decided that pupils from Lismore Primary will be transferred to Brunstane Primary and pupils from Bonnington Primary will go to Leith Primary for the start of the new term in January.

When Westburn Primary School closes at the end of the school year next June, pupils will be moved to either Murrayburn, Sighthill or Canal View Primary Schools, based on where they live in the current school catchment area.

The public consultation, which ended last month, saw hundreds of parents turn up to a series of public meetings to discuss the future of the three schools.

Parents at Lismore Primary warned education leaders that closing the school would turn the Bingham community into a "ghetto", while Bonnington parents appealed for the school to be kept open at least until the end of the school year next June.

Parents of children at Westburn claimed the school was only facing the axe because of a series of council blunders in the consultation.

The education department's decision will go before councillors for final approval at a meeting of the full council next Thursday, and it is expected parents will make a last-ditch attempt to convince them to vote against the recommendation.

Councillor MacLaren said she was aware this is a "difficult time" for the school communities involved, but believes the decision is "in the best interests of all school pupils in the city" in the longer term.

She said: "If the council agrees these proposals next week, every effort will be made to ensure a smooth transition for pupils joining their new school in January.

"We will be in discussion with all of the receiving primary schools regarding familiarisation visits for parents and pupils.

"We are recommending Christmas closures for Bonnington and Lismore Primary schools as both of their rolls are likely to drop further still should the closure be confirmed and we feel it would be better for the children to be in a more settled environment as soon as possible."

A cross-party forum was set up at the start of the year to look at the rationalisation of Edinburgh's school estate. It agreed a number of criteria to be used to decide which schools would close, including poor exam results, falling rolls and high running costs.