A decision on whether three of Glasgow’s colleges are to be merged into one “super-college” is to be delayed until the end of summer, it has been revealed.

The colleges – Nautical, Metropolitan and Central – have already submitted the plan to the Scottish Government and hoped to get an answer by the beginning of August.

But they will be forced to wait an extra month, as the Government has announced that the decision will not be made until September 1.

Skills and Lifelong Learning Minister Keith Brown said the delay was necessary in order for the Government to reach the correct decision on what would be a “complex” merger.

He said: "I want to be clear that we have not made up our mind on whether to approve the merger or not.

"The deferral means only one thing - as ministers we owe it to the city of Glasgow, college staff, students, businesses, trade unions and all other stakeholders to fully consider the proposal."

Mr Brown added that some people and organisations whose views would be key to the final outcome would not be available during the holiday period. He also stressed that the Government had already heard from many people with views on the proposals.

The minister said: "I have met with a number of key voices, including MSPs, the Scottish Funding Council and the trade unions, and I will hear from others with an interest.

"I want to have the time to consider these views as part of my own consideration of the proposal. And alongside that lies the statutory responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council - not ministers - to secure a coherent system of college education in Scotland, which means we need to take very close account of its advice."

Mr Brown noted that a timely decision was necessary in order to allow staff and students time to plan and prepare for any merger.

He said: "It is, therefore, only right and fair that we take our time and consider the proposal in full before making a decision."

"We will, as a responsible government, take the necessary time to reach the correct decision before making clear our views at the start of September."

Paul Little, principal designate of the proposed new City of Glasgow College, said: "We understand that this is a complex process and look forward to meeting with the minister in mid-August.

"We have been working closely with the Scottish Funding Council and government officials to offer every assistance and we will continue to do so."

He added: "We firmly believe that the merger of Central, Metropolitan and Nautical College is in the best interests of our students, both current and potential, and for staff and the city of Glasgow.

"The new college will not only bring a vast range of benefits to students from all walks of life, it will also contribute to the social and economic development of the city and further cement its reputation as a leading destination for learning.

"We welcome the fact that a decision will be made by September 1 and will continue to work at pace to ensure that the merger process continues smoothly."

The plan suggests that a merger would result in a significantly more efficient system, saving money which could then be re-invested in education. Two new campuses would be built to house about 1500 staff and 40,000 students and provide state-of-the-art learning environments at a cost of around £300m.

However, critics have warned that the effects could be disastrous for Stow College, which is not included in the plan. Concerns over funding have also been voiced by those opposed to the merger.

Ronnie Smith, general secretary of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union, welcomed the news that the decision had been deferred.

He said: "The EIS has consistently asked ministers to make such a deferment since it believes that no sound educational rationale has been provided to support the merger. The proposed college, for example, would deliver less teaching activity than the existing three colleges.

"The EIS has sought a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies as part of the entire merger process but no such guarantee has been forthcoming.

"Whilst some progress has been made in the harmonisation of pay and conditions of service for academic staff at the proposed college, there remain key areas to resolve."