RAAC: Parts of County Hall in Worcester forced to close

Worcestershire County Council said it has found reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) at its headquarters at County Hall in Worcester and has been forced to shut several parts of the building and move staff.

The council’s chief executive Paul Robinson said the top floors of each pavilion, the area around the council chamber and several meeting rooms have all been closed off pending further investigations.

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Mr Robinson said the disruption would not affect any of the council’s services.

RAAC is a lightweight 'bubbly' form of concrete used widely between the 1950s and mid-1990s – especially for roofs, walls and floors – and only lasts around 30 years.

CHIEF: Paul Robinson, chief executive of Worcestershire County Council outside County Hall in Worcester

In a statement on Friday (September 7), Mr Robinson said the temporary closures were a precautionary measure and the safety of staff and the public was his “number one priority.”

“Government has recently changed its guidance on school buildings where the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is found,” he said.

“RAAC is not only present in school buildings, and I have been made aware that County Hall has RAAC present in its roof.

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“The safety of our staff and public is our number one priority. Therefore, in line with Government guidelines and while further investigation work is taking place, as a precautionary measure, some areas of County Hall have been temporarily taken out of use and staff relocated to other areas of the building.

“County Hall remains open and unaffected areas are safe to use.

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“These changes to where staff work from within County Hall will not impact service delivery for our residents and businesses in any way.”

At the end of August, the county council said none of the schools it runs were affected by the same ‘collapse-risk’ concrete that had forced more than 100 others to close.

Thousands of pupils were facing disruption just days before the start of the new school year after more than 100 schools, colleges and nurseries were told to immediately close buildings made with concrete prone to collapsing.