THE opening of three Torfaen 21st century primary schools will be delayed - one by five months, according to a council report.

The three new primary school buildings were due to open in September 2016 but delays in building work have pushed back their opening dates.

The report, which will go before Torfaen council's cabinet next week, asks councillors to approve the modification of the opening dates for the three schools.

They estimate both the new Blenheim Road Community Primary and Llantarnam Community Primary School in Cwmbran will be open on October 31, 2016.

But they estimate Ysgol Panteg Primary School in Pontypool will not be ready to open until February 27, 2017.

As part of its 21st Century Schools Programme, Torfaen council proposed the replacement and relocation of Llantarnam Community Primary School and Ysgol Panteg along with a replacement school for Blenheim Road Community Primary School on its existing site.

In the report submitted by Dermot McChrystal, head of education services at the council, it states: "Due to ongoing issues at the time in relation to the tendering process and in the case of Ysgol Panteg access to the site, construction of all three projects was delayed and did not begin until October 2015 for Llantarnam and Blenheim Road and January 2016 for Ysgol Panteg.

"Progress has been very good but it has not been possible to completely recover the delays during the build process."

Work was due to begin on the sites in the summer holidays last year.

Both Blenheim Road Community and Llantarnam Community primary schools will have 315 pupil places and Ysgol Panteg will have 420 pupil places.

The design is such that Blenheim Road and Llantarnam can be extended to 420 places in the future should it be required.

The 21st Century Schools programme was first announced in December 2011, when the then Welsh Assembly education minister Leighton Andrews outlined the £1.4 billion proposal.

The cost of the development is split between the Welsh Government and the local authority, with the overall investment in Torfaen totalling £280 million over a five-year period between 2014-2019.

Torfaen cabinet will discuss the report on June 7.