Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC): Cross Sector Working Group minutes – March 2024

Attendees and apologies

Internal stakeholders

• Building Standards Division (Chair)
• Education
• Health and Social Care
• Housing Standards Unit
• Facilities Services
• Education and Justice
• Estate Strategy and Planning
• Courts and Tribunals
• School Funding, Infrastructure and Organisation

External stakeholders

• Police Scotland 
• Falkirk Council
• Scottish Futures Trust
• Scottish Courts Service
• NHS Scotland  
• North Ayrshire Council
• Built Environment Forum Scotland
• Scottish Funding Council 
• University of Dundee 
• Manufacturing Technology Centre
• Aberdeen City Council 
• Scottish Heads of Property 
• The Chartered Institute of Public Relations
• Fife Council
• Association of British Insurers
• UK Finance 

Items and actions

Note of last meeting (23 January) and actions

Update on previous actions: 

Action point 10.1

BE-ST summary report has now been made available on Objective Connect.

Action point 10.2

The Group agreed that meetings should be every 6-8 weeks alternating with meetings of the RAAC Management Subgroup. 

Scottish Government updates (including CSWG subgroups)  

RAAC Management Subgroup

The purpose of the subgroup has been created to primarily focus on the detail of longer-term remediation planning, on a sector by sector basis. 

In many sectors, the discovery phase was largely complete but there was still more invasive survey work to be carried out. It was apparent that there was no blanket approach that could be applied to remediation with issues being addressed on a case-by-case basis. The suggestion of workshops with industry professionals including contractors was supported by the sub-group as potentially being beneficial in increasing understanding of the issues faced with remediation planning. 

The subgroup had also been made aware of the possibility of conservation laws impacting on remediation planning. 

Housing Subgroup

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) carried out a data collection exercise in October 2023 to gauge the extent of RAAC across the Registered Social Landlord (RSL) housing sector. Recent data requests have been focused on landlords still undertaking investigations, current figures are: 

• 12 landlords have so far identified RAAC in their properties. 
• SHR are hopeful that investigations will be completed by May 2024.
• SHR has received assurance from affected landlords that appropriate management plans are in place where landlords have identified RAAC. Although less information is available for privately owned homes, intelligence shows that the use of RAAC was not extensive in private house building and was more common in public sector house building. 

 Aberdeen City Council (ACC) provided an overview of the planned re-homing project they are undertaking in Balnagask, Torry. 

• 140 properties are privately owned with some of these having been sold multiple times. 
• The remaining 364 properties are council owned. 
• 30 properties have had remediation work carried out . 
• 50 properties have so far been subject to survey in line with IStructE practice.  
• 290 households need rehousing- the Council are working closely with each household to find suitable accommodation based on individual needs. A report by Fairhurst will be provided on the matter. 
• ACC are being proactive in supporting home owners by offering them a meeting with a housing officer for advice on what they could do but it was noted that there was no funding available to buy back any of the affected properties. 

Aberdeen City Council (ACC), UK Finance and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have been looking at ways to support customers impacted by RAAC including those owning property bought through the Right to Buy Scheme. 

ABI was aware of concerns from home owners in Balnagask about the cancellation of home insurance policies on the discovery of RAAC. ABI noted that RAAC would not be covered by home insurance which would only apply to ‘named perils’ such as fire and flood. However, ABI also noted that the majority of their members are not planning to void policies due to the identification of RAAC, and that homeowners can still expect to be covered for the named perils set out in their policy. 

The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has been developing a less invasive way to inspect RAAC and is putting together a RAAC ‘playbook’ - to be shared with the group in due course. 

Sector updates 

Health

• 9 Health Boards across NHS Scotland have identified RAAC on their estates. Out of 545 properties assessed as likely to have RAAC, 438 have been surveyed with RAAC found in 33 buildings. 
• NHSScotland Assure has published an FAQ document and a list of properties which are being surveyed along with links to all NHSScotland Health Boards own RAAC webpages which show a list and the status of the affected properties.
• guidance for health boards is in the process of being drafted to help identify RAAC during routine maintenance. 

Education

The Scottish Funding Council has published a list of all universities and colleges containing RAAC. 

Any other business

The Scottish Government would welcome early engagement from any sector where issues concerning RAAC were likely to have wider media and political impacts. 

Date of next meeting

The date of the next meeting is to be confirmed. 

Actions arising from meeting

Action point 11.1

To circulate the findings of NHS Scotland survey work.