RAAC concerns: West Sussex County Council called on to name more than 100 schools ‘at risk of containing deadly concrete’

The call came from Peter Lamb, councillor and Parliamentary candidate for Crawley, who is unhappy with the way the council has responded to concerns about the use of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in school buildings.

While the county council said it had completed a ‘thorough review’ of records and found that none of the schools maintained by the authority contained RAAC, Mr Lamb said that detailed information only existed for the years since the concrete ceased to be used.

Desk-top reviews of information are one thing but Mr Lamb called for actually inspections to be carried out – something the council said it has now commissioned.

He said: “It is a disgrace that despite years of warnings, the county still has yet to inspect any of the 114 schools in Crawley and across the county which are identified as being at risk of containing deadly concrete.

“Not only does this mean that local children are currently attending schools which are potentially as dangerous as those which have been closed, but that the council has chosen to obfuscate rather than be transparent with parents about the risks.

“The most important part of crisis management is dealing with the crisis, not your reputation.

“For the safety pupils and teachers I’m calling on the council to fast-track the inspections and publish the full list of 114 local schools potentially containing RAAC.”

RAAC is a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls, between the 1950s and 1990s.

It is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete, is quicker to produce and easier to install.

It is aerated, or ‘bubbly’, like an Aero chocolate bar and has a lifespan of around 30 years.

It is susceptible to structural failure when exposed to moisture as the bubbles can allow water to enter the material.

A council spokesman said: “We have completed a thorough review of all the records held by us for all the schools we maintain and none were identified from our records as containing any RAAC construction

“The safety of children and staff within our schools is a top priority for us, so as a further precaution we have commissioned a physical inspection of all county council-maintained school blocks constructed between 1930 and 2000 to check for any RAAC materials.

“This survey work across the 114 maintained schools will follow the DfE guidance as updated on 30 August 2023.”

As well as the inspections of schools, the authority will be looking at council-owned buildings constructed between the 1950s and 1990s.

The spokesman added: “If any RAAC construction materials are identified as a result of these inspections then further detailed examinations will be commissioned to determine the condition, associated risk, and any required mitigation.”