Fife Council: RAAC reviews of local authority's main properties now complete

Warout Stadium in Glenrothes was found to contain RAAC roof panels during an inspection. (Pic: Google Maps)

The news comes as Fife Council confirmed the RAAC reviews across its non-domestic estate are now substantially completed.

Panels in the roof at the stadium were identified as being made from the "bubbly” concrete material.

However Fife Council confirmed the panels have been assessed in accordance with the Institution of Structural Engineers guidance and are in good condition. They only mitigation required will be an annual inspection.

Should a change be noted, then consideration would have to be given to remedial works.

The council said feedback on a handful of minor properties, such as outbuildings, is still awaited.

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 planning and building records could not exclude the presence of RAAC, the team carried out site inspections and intrusive structural investigations where necessary. These reviews are now substantially complete and work progressed or completed on those which required it."

RAAC panels were identified in the roofs at Gallatown Nursery, Templehall Library, Templehall Community Centre and the Savoy Sports Hall in Methil. They were assessed by an independent structural engineer and are in good condition.

The RAAC panels at Gallatown Nursery have now been removed. Templehall Library and Templehall Community Centre will be replaced by 2027 by the new Templehall Community Hub. In the meantime, they are in good condition with works planned to increase the area of the RAAC that sits on supporting walls and beams. Work at Templehall Library will begin on April 15 and will take four weeks.

The RAAC panels at Warout Stadium and Savoy Sports Hall are in good condition and have sufficient bearing on the supporting steelwork. They will be inspected annually to ensure they remain in good condition.

RAAC came into the spotlight last year amid safety concerns over the building material which is prone to sudden collapse. It was introduced and widely used in the UK from the 1950s to the mid 1980s and was generally used for wall panels or roof planks in the construction of government estate buildings.