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All of the schools are secondaries, and all are due to open at the start of 2011. A source close to the programme said one of them may be delayed by the damage, which has affected underfloor heating pipes and concrete floors. Localised repairs are being done at the others.

The damage was caused when water that had been put into the pipes to test for leaks froze when the temperature fell to 鈥�10潞C.

Educo, the Ferrovial Agrom谩n and Costain joint venture building the schemes, is facing extra costs following the damage, the extent of which is still being assessed.

Alex Vaughan, Costain鈥檚 head of communities, said: 鈥淚t won鈥檛 cost nothing. But we won鈥檛 pass the costs on to the council.鈥�

Vaughan said the firm was 鈥渋n the process of rectifying damage鈥�, and working with consultants on a remedial plan for the worst affected school.

I鈥檓 as confident about meeting the deadline as I can be, sitting here

Alex Vaughan, Costain

He said: 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to reprogramme works, and are looking at an acceleration programme to meet the deadline.鈥�

When asked if it would meet its deadline, he said: 鈥淚鈥檓 as confident as I can be, sitting here. What鈥檚 important is that we are ensuring the local authority is kept fully informed of our progress so the education of the children is not affected.鈥�

The pipes were installed in the concrete slab, so were lower in the ground than if they were in the screed, and more exposed to low temperatures. However, Vaughan emphasised that the system was correctly installed, and said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 just been very cold. I don鈥檛 think we鈥檙e the only project that鈥檚 been affected.鈥�

The schools are part of the second phase of the BSF programme, of which several schools have been completed.