FURTHER funding is being added to the 21st Century Schools building programme in Monmouthshire to avoid an overspend.

Monmouthshire County Council has said that the Welsh Government has made further funding of more than £5m available towards the multi-million pound project.

It has also been clarified that councillor Liz Hacket Pain, the cabinet member for Schools and Learning will report the latest stage in the programme to the council next week, and will also ask for the council to provide the same amount to enable both Caldicot and Monmouth Comprehensive’s construction to be completed.

Ms Hacket Pain said: "I'm pleased with the progress on the delivery of the new schools. This is one of the largest construction projects in Wales, one which will bring fantastic opportunities to thousands of our young people in the future.”

A council spokesman has denied that the programme is currently overspending on the builds, but said the money is needed to avoid an overspend happening.

The spokesman said: “The schools programme is not overspending. We are at a point where additional funding needs to be allocated to the programme to avoid an overspend.

“The sum is £11.9 million with the Welsh Government having agreed to finance half of this. If this funding were not available, then the programme would be reduced and be delivered within the agreed budget.”

The school’s rebuilding forms part of the council’s £81 million 21st Century Schools programme.

The school along with another of the county’s comprehensives, Caldicot School, are the first to be rebuilt as part of the scheme, joint funded by the Welsh Government.

The 21st Century Schools programme aims to deliver learning environments in Wales that will enable the successful implementation of strategies for improvement and better educational outcomes.

Last year, an overspend of £58,000 incurred on the Caldicot 3G pitch project which led to a final cost of £718,000, with Monmouthshire council agreeing the budget of £660,000 in April 2014 after an increase in budget from the original £440,000 allocated.