Published Date: Dec 11th, 2023
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) panels have been identified in four Fife Council properties. The panels are in good condition, there are no immediate concerns regarding the buildings, and mitigation plans are being put in place to manage these.
Alan Paul, Head of Property Services said: “Previous work had not identified RAAC in any council buildings but precautionary reviews across all Fife Council’s property began in September. Buildings were assessed in prioritised groups. If we could not exclude the presence of RAAC from building records, the team carried out site inspections and intrusive structural investigations where necessary.
“These reviews are now well advanced and we’ve ruled out RAAC from the majority of buildings. However, RAAC has so far been identified in four properties – in the roofs at Gallatown Nursery, Templehall Library, Templehall Community Centre and the Savoy Sports Hall in Methil. The panels have been assessed by structural engineers and are in good condition with no immediate concerns raised.”
In Gallatown Nursery the RAAC panels are in an extremely small area above cupboards, a resources room, and some toilets within the Viewforth Terrace building. Plans are in place to remove the RAAC at the same time as other roof repairs are taking place. This work will be carried out in early January and should take around four weeks to complete. There will be minimal disruption and no impact on the operation of the nursery.
Templehall Library and Templehall Community Centre, which are due to be replaced with a new Community Hub in 2027 also contain some RAAC panels. These are also still in good condition but, as a precaution, further work will be carried out at both buildings. Work at the library will be straightforward, to install additional timber supports. This work is expected to take around one week. At the community centre the work will be more extensive, due to the suspended ceilings which need to be removed, as well as the height and size of the building. Detailed plans will be set out at a later date.
The Savoy Sports Hall also contains some RAAC which is in good condition and only requires annual inspections of the roof. If any changes are identified in the future, decisions will be made then on what work may be needed.
Most of Fife Council's buildings have now been assessed, but follow-up inspections are still being carried out in some places. These should be completed within the next few months.
