THE COLLAPSE of a construction firm will delay the completion of a £13.5 million school building project in Blaenau Gwent by several more months.

Last week it was announced that the ISG group of companies had entered administration and that their UK operation had stopped with: “immediate effect.”

This puts thousands of construction industry jobs at risk at the firm which builds prisons and police stations as well as schools.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s People committee which scrutinises education councillors asked whether the firms collapse would affect the completion of 210 pupil Ysgol Gymraeg Tredegar which will be a Welsh medium primary school.

It had been originally expected that the building work would have been finished by this April.

Labour’s Cllr Derrick Bevan said: “I’m rather concerned that the firm building the new school in Sirhowy have gone into liquidation.

“Can we have an update on what happens with the school, it will set it back a long way by the look of it.”

Committee chairman, Labour’s Cllr Tommy Smith understood there would be a “slight delay.”

He requested that a briefing note on the situation be sent out to all councillors “to explain the situation.”

Directior of education, Luisa Munro-Morris said: “We are still expecting the school to be open on time in September 2025.

Education transformation and business change manager, Joanne Watts explained: “I think we were quite lucky really as the expected completion time for the project was May 2025 and the latest information we had is that it was ahead of schedule – they were looking at February, March 2025.

“The contract has now been terminated and we’re looking to re-tender and the estimated time frame in terms of a delay is about three months.

“We are still within that timeframe to open by September 2025.”

She added that children were being educated and attend the school which is being run temporarily from Bedwellty House.

Ms Watts said: “That can accommodate them easily up until September 2025.”

Cllr Bevan asked whether the delay would cost the council money?

Ms Watts said: “There will inevitably be cost escalation, but we are in conversations with the Welsh Government and this project is funded 100 per cent by them.”

“They have been very supportive to us and will do what they can to help.”

Last year it was revealed that the costs of building the school had more than doubled from an estimated £6.2 million to £13.5 million.

The school has been described as “seedling,” which means it would start with a first intake of early years and reception pupils, expanding on an annual basis through the school years.

It will take six years to fill up with pupils from three to 11 years old.

The school would be federated with the county borough’s only current Welsh medium primary school, Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Helyg in Nantyglo.

On September 20, the ISG companies entered administration with Timothy Vance, Alan Michael Hudson and Dan Edkins appointed as joint administrators.