An email was sent from the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Department of Education (DfE) on December 5 2018 to all local authorities to “draw attention” to a “building failure” involving a property constructed with RAAC. It suggested steps that local authorities should take the following steps:
“(1) identify any properties constructed using Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) and validate the potential risk appropriately
(2) consider and monitor the possible impact of reduced maintenance regimes on the condition of your property portfolio, in particular where RAAC is used.”
1. a) Please disclose any action taken and/or findings made as a result of this email regarding point 1. This could include any surveys, studies or reports commissioned to identify properties constructed using RAAC and their results, including which properties were found to contain RAAC, and the potential risk that was assessed.
In response to the email from the LGA and DfE in late 2018, Devon County Council (DCC) ran a desktop exercise to highlight any school estate buildings where there was a suspicion that Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) might be present. This was informed by local area building surveyor knowledge. Where the presence of RAAC was considered possible, buildings were inspected in more detail to confirm or not the presence of RAAC – the investigations were all negative.
In 2018/19 – Cullompton Community College was identified as the only schools property identified to be in scope, this was subsequently surveyed and RAAC was not present. Barnstaple Civic Centre was the only Corporate property to be considered ‘at risk’ of having RAAC but this was also found to have no RAAC on inspection.
In 2021/22 RAAC was also added to the checklist for the condition survey so that surveyors would highlight any concerns as part of their quinquennial surveys.
b) Please disclose any action taken and/or findings made as a result of this email regarding point 2. This could include any buildings in your property portfolio that you identified as having been built with RAAC that had “reduced maintenance regimes”.
• * Email ‘RE: Compliance & Maintenance – RAAC’ includes email correspondence from 2021 outlined how the quinquennial surveys would record RAAC. It is stated that surveyors have been aware and look for RAAC since the DfE email.
• * Email ‘RE Barnstaple IMPORTANT/ RAAC – Devon and Cornwall Police raised a concern about Barnstaple civic centre. It was subsequently confirmed that the DCC building did not have RAAC but includes reference that surveyors were aware and actively looking for RAAC.
• * Email ‘RE: Compliance & Maintenance RAAC’ outlined the approach taken in response to the DfE email which is written in 1.a) above.
2. Please disclose copies of any reports, surveys, briefings or studies concerning the presence of RAAC in your property portfolio after this email from December 5 2018.
3. If you replied to this email from the LGA, or forwarded it to another member of staff internally, please disclose the subsequent email chains.
In response to questions 2 and 3, please see the available information online at further correspondence
Names of individuals have been redacted as their personal information is exempt from disclosure pursuant to section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
4. Please disclose any other actions taken as a result of this email, if not included above.
Please see our response above.