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£500K bill to remove safety risk concrete from Perth school

The assembly hall roof at Perth Grammar was built using the RAAC style of concrete which has now been identified as potentially dangerous

Perth Grammar exterior
The RAAC risk at Perth Grammar School was revealed earlier this year.

Council bosses have spent half a million pounds on replacing potentially dangerous concrete at Perth Grammar School.

The Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was detected in the roof of the assembly hall.

The lightweight material was used in the second half of the 20th century as a cheaper alternative to standard concrete.

However, the Health and Safety Executive has now warned RAAC is at risk of collapsing “with little or no notice”.

The discovery at the school in the city’s Muirton area was revealed in August.

graphic showing Perth and Kinross Council HQ with banknotes in background
Perth and Kinross Council was updated on the cost of removing RAAC from Perth Grammar School.

It later emerged the substance had been found at Perth Grammar in February 2023.

However, the council had known of concerns about RAAC since May 2019.

Perth Grammar RAAC works complete

Perth and Kinross Council’s property sub-committee was updated on the works this week.

Head of Property Services Stephen Crawford said Perth Grammar was “the one part of the school estate that we found RAAC on”.

He said: “We found that in February and we scheduled the work to be completed over the summer holidays. When we found it we put preventative measures and safety measures in place and worked with the school and the team there to keep the school operational.

“The work’s now complete. The £500,000 came out of the fund we had for the programmed upgrading of the school.”

taped off section with sign saying 'RAAC ceiling, this area is closed due to serious health and safety concerns, please do not enter'.
A taped off section inside another school where RAAC was discovered: Jacob King/PA Wire

RAAC is a lightweight, bubbly form of concrete with steel enforcement which was widely used in the construction of schools, hospitals and other publicly owned buildings across the UK.

It has a shelf-life of around 30 years and can be weakened by water ingress leading to the risk of structural collapse.

West Lothian Council was the first Scottish council to publicly flag the issue. Figures published by the Scottish Government in September 2023 show half of Scotland’s councils have now identified schools which contain RAAC.

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