Latest news with #Raac
BBC News
5 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Reigate theatre Raac concrete repairs of £4.5m approved
Plans to spend £4.5m repairing a closed theatre in Surrey have been approved by Theatre in Redhill closed in 2023 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was discovered at the site, which can pose safety future of the theatre, cinema and community space had hung in the balance Biggs, leader of Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, said: "Our priority is to get it open, our priority is to actually get the work commenced." The theatre is expected to be ready to welcome back audiences by funds will allow for the removal of all Raac from within the building and for other essential works that will allow it to reopen at its previous capacity, the council said. The sum approved for repairs falls significantly short of the £10m the council had been considering, which would have included major upgrades to the building, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. The council ruled against a quicker fix option that would have kept the Raac in place and required regular safety inspections, opting instead for the longer – but longer lasting – for a second performing arts and culture building in the town were approved earlier in July. The council has been advised to appoint a specialist company to market and seek expressions of interest for the Harlequin Theatre to be run by a third-party operator.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Promised £4m funding for Whitchurch Civic Centre not found
Money that was supposed to be set aside to bring Whitchurch Civic Centre back into use has not been identified, Shropshire Council has centre has been closed since September 2023 after it was discovered to have used potentially dangerous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).In February, when the authority was run by the Conservatives, its cabinet agreed to commit up to £4m within its capital strategy towards the repair or rebuilding of the centre. But the council's current administration, run by the Liberal Democrats, confirmed that no funding was identified and put into the capital programme. The BBC has contacted the Conservatives for funding was due to be used to rebuild and redevelop the site or create a new roof for the centre, depending on whether or not government or external funding could be council said the likely aspiration was to redevelop the site and create a new, modern, fit-for-purpose and energy-efficient building. This was emerging as the preferred option, said the council, as opposed to replacing just the roof. 'Left in limbo' Andy Hall, who is both a Shropshire and Whitchurch town councillor, said he was "extremely disappointed" that the people in the town had been"hoodwinked into believing £4m had been set aside from the Conservative administration"."Money was set aside for this but it doesn't exist," said Hall."It leaves us in limbo until we have a finance meeting and identify where the money can come from."The North Shropshire Conservative Association has been contacted for Evans, the council's cabinet member for finance said: "I understand the expectation and the need for Whitchurch to have a functioning civic centre and promise that we will continue to discuss and share future plans".This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Council to pay £6m to remove Raac from Grimsby shopping centre
More than £6m will be spent on removing concrete from a shopping centre amid concerns over its safety. North East Lincolnshire Council has agreed to replace the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) after it was found in non-public areas of Freshney of buildings around the country, including schools, have been closed for remedial work because of fears for the structural integrity of Raac, which was used between the 1950s and 1990s and has a lifespan of about 30 is expected to start early next year and is due to be completed by the end of 2027. The Grimsby shopping centre was bought by the council in August 2022 and is being revamped as part of a £50m redevelopment of the to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the money for the repairs will be borrowed, with the council planning to recoup the cost later from service was developed as a cheaper alternative to standard concrete. It was commonly used in flat roofs, as well as in floors and wallsIt is aerated, or "bubbly", like an Aero chocolate bar, but is less durable and has a lifespan of around 30 affected areas at Freshney Place have been propped up to reduce the risk of concrete will be removed and replaced, rather than being strengthened by steel supports, to avoid any future problems with the to highlights from Hull and East Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here. Download the BBC News app from the App Store for iPhone and iPad or Google Play for Android devices.
BBC News
09-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Peterborough town hall's Raac repairs could cost £900,000
Safety measures to protect people from crumbling concrete at a town hall could cost £900,000, a report has autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found on the second floor of the civic building in Peterborough in February a report due to be read at a meeting on 15 July, Peterborough City Council was told "urgent mitigation measures" were needed to make its Bridge Street base safe."If injury or fatality occurs because of a known structural risk, liability may fall to the council," the report stated. Mitigation measures would ensure the safety of the occupants below, it was city council meetings have been held at the authority's offices in Sand Martin House since parts of the building have remained in use, including the main chamber occupied by the coroner's court. 'Cascading effect' The report stated the building's floor was not strong enough to withstand any falling Raac panels."Should one or more panels fail without warning - which is the nature of Raac - the resulting impact load could exceed the second floor's load-bearing limits, causing the floor structure to fail," it read."This could lead to a cascading effect to the floors below." The report also claimed businesses operating from the building could face significant financial losses if work did not take £760,000 per year would be lost in lease payments if this happened and the firms vacated the premises, the author the report, cabinet members have been recommended to support a contract being awarded for mitigation council said the likelihood of a Raac collapse was unlikely, but admitted the implications would be "severe" if it did previously stressed the ongoing works were a "very complex issue". Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
South Wales Guardian
19-06-2025
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Maintenance fund to give £9bn a year to fix schools, hospitals and prisons
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said £6 billion a year would go to repairing hospitals, £3 billion to schools and colleges and £600 million to courts and prisons as part of Labour's plans for 'national renewal'. The maintenance fund is part of the minimum £725 billion committed to boost infrastructure in the 10-year plan, he told the Commons. The Government hopes this preventative action will break the cycle of emergency repairs in public infrastructure. It will go towards making court facilities better in a bid to reduce backlogs, and improving safety and security in prisons across England and Wales. Removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) will be among the measures taken to update health facilities. The Treasury minister told MPs: 'Done properly it will result in tangible improvements to the fabric of our country, our local roads and high streets renewed so communities are even better places to live. Our public transport more available and more reliable, making it easier for people to get around and access opportunities. 'Our schools and hospitals and GP surgeries fit for the future to deliver for generations to come, and a country that will be stronger and more resilient. 'Communities will see the difference as this Labour Government delivers on the promise of change and a decade of national renewal.' The strategy also includes £1 billion to fix roads, bridges and flyovers and £590 million to start work on the Lower Thames Crossing project. Some £16 billion of public investment will go towards building 500,000 new homes through a new publicly owned National Housing Bank. This is expected to unlock more than £53 billion of private investment. Around £7.9 billion over 10 years will be invested in maintaining and creating new flood defences with the aim of benefiting 840,000 properties. The strategy covers a decade but the spending review cycle every two years will provide a juncture to decide whether to go ahead with projects. A 'pipeline' of projects will be published online in mid-July and will be updated every six months. The chief secretary's shadow counterpart Richard Fuller urged him to set out which major projects are being abandoned and explain why. The pipeline is a digital dashboard that will give an overview of projects the Government is procuring on a map, Mr Jones said in response. 'It will show on a map of the country which projects we're procuring, when and where to give investors and businesses that long-term confidence about the jobs that are going to be available, so that they can invest in their own workforce,' he said. The strategy does not cover so-called megaprojects which cost more than £10 billion and take more than 10 years to deliver – currently the HS2 railway, Sizewell C nuclear plant and the Dreadnought submarine programme. Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: 'Infrastructure is crucial to unlocking growth across the country, but for too long investment has been squeezed. Crumbling public buildings are a sign of the decay that has seeped into our everyday lives because of a total failure to plan and invest. 'We're not just fixing buildings – we're enhancing public services, improving lives and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth in communities throughout the UK. We're delivering on a decade of national renewal we promised Britain. 'This will deliver the decade of national renewal we promised Britain, and fulfil our Plan for Change goals to kickstart economic growth, and build an NHS fit for the future.'
