BLAENAU GWENT council is waiting for Welsh Government guidance on  potentially unsafe school buildings after problems emerged in England.

Yesterday (Thursday, August 31) it was revealed that more than 100 schools in England have been told that they need to shut classrooms or put safety measures in place because they contain concrete that could collapse suddenly.

The UK Government has said that some of the schools will need to find alternative accommodation while safety measures are put in place.

The issues come from the use of Reinforce Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) as a building material from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s.

According to the UK Government the advice has been given after a concrete beam collapsed over the summer.

Infrastructure is a devolved power, and the Welsh Government will need to assess the extent of the problem in the country.

A spokesperson for Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council said: “We are aware of the issues that are currently affecting schools in England.

“The health and safety of all our school pupils and staff is a top priority.

“We will await guidance from Welsh Government on the matter in Wales and will comply with any course of action deemed necessary.”

A Welsh Government spokesperson explained that Wales has taken a “different approach” to England and since the 1960s has embarked on a new school and further education building programme to “address the risks” of ageing buildings.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “Earlier this year we commissioned a condition survey of all state funded schools and colleges which will identify any structures suspected of containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

“Local authorities and further education institutions have not reported to us any instances of RAAC being present within schools or colleges.

“We will continue to work closely with the WLGA (Welsh Local Government Association) and local authorities on this issue and will provide an update once the survey has been completed.”