As news reached residents of Torry that a huge swathe of Balnagask is likely to be demolished due to Raac, one sentiment keeps recurring: “Surely people must have known about this before now.”
We looked into Raac-related reports and headlines to try and find out an answer to that question.
Here’s what we discovered:
Timeline of Raac awareness
1990-1999
In 1993 the parliamentary under-secretary of state for the environment, Tony Baldry says “Siporex houses” in Basildon Essex are “coming to the end of their useful life.” Constructed from 1964 onwards, just a year after construction, cracks began to appear in the Raac panels, made under the brand name Siporex. Remember that name.
In December 1996 the Building Research Establishment (BRE) released a paper. While it didn’t present Raac as being a matter for urgent action it did highlight that deflection and cracking had been identified in Raac roof planks designed before 1980.
Raac homes condemned 20 years ago
2000-2009
In 2004, in the South Deans, Livingston, West Lothian, Siporex rears its head again. After being found in the roofs of properties, all those containing the branded Raac were condemned. Homeowners fought for 20 years to get a like-for-like property after being repeatedly offered low valuations for compulsory purchases of their homes. The first to receive their keys did so in May this year after a two-decade battle.
In 2009 following the “failure” of a school roof containing Raac a Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) report was issued. As a result, the Institution of Structural Engineers (ISE) assembled a study panel, chaired by Martin Liddell. Confirming this in the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee meeting in October 2023 he said a decade of research had taken place from 2009-2019, specifically into two Raac-containing hospitals.
Schools warned about Raac dangers
2010-2019
In May 2019 SCOSS issues another report stating that in late 2018, the Local Government Association (LGA) and the Department for Education (DfE) contacted all school building owners drawing attention to a recent failure of a flat roof built using Raac planks. In the incident mentioned, there was little warning of the sudden collapse.
Material is ‘liable to collapse’
2020-2024
In November 2022 the Local Government Association announced that two months earlier, the Office of Government Property sent a safety briefing notice to all property leaders, regarding the dangers of Raac. It stated that “Raac is now life-expired and liable to collapse”.
In October 2023 The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee met. Martin Liddell, chair of the Raac study group for the Institution of Structural Engineers confirmed knowledge of the issues concerning Raac since 2009. Professor Chris Goodier of Loughborough University claimed the alleged 30-year lifespan of Raac is a “bit of an urban myth”. Peter Drummond from the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) raises the plight of homeowners and calls for something to be done to help because “these people are now in a disaster that was not in the slightest of their own making.”
In November 2023 Aberdeen City Council let tenants and homeowners know that Raac could be in their homes. In report no: 157606 entitled Raac inspections Balnagask Mono-pitches, original architectural drawings of the hen houses and flats in the Balnagask area are included. Written on the drawings is that word from earlier in our timeline: Siporex.
In February 2024 Aberdeen City Council informs residents of more than 500 houses that their homes were likely to have Raac, and based on surveys conducted it was critical for residents to be moved out.
From March this year all council tenants pack up their houses and await rehoming options.
Demolition and rebuild for Raac homes in Balnagask, Aberdeen
Wednesday morning, August 14 2024: a letter is hand-delivered to all homeowners. No new information was offered, just a reminder of all the possible viable options. Details on how to view a meeting on August 21 when officials will vote on the recommended option, were included.
Wednesday 11pm: a council report goes live. It states the preferred option will be the demolition and rebuild of all the Raac houses in Balnagask, Aberdeen. It’s suggested that council tenants will have the option to move back after the 5-15 year process. Homeowners are told their houses will also be demolished. Current (not pre-Raac crisis) market value will be offered.
Thursday, August 15 and 16: Council bosses refuse to rule out an Aberdeen-wide rent increase to cover the costs of demolishing and replacing Torry Raac homes. Meanwhile, the Torry community comes to terms with the potential of 500+ homes being demolished.
August 21: After months of disruption and uncertainty for residents, Aberdeen City councillors vote to demolish and rebuild Balnagask homes – despite emotional pleas from tenants and owners to leave them standing.
Raac takes on toll on NHS buildings
October 9 2024: A Freedom of Information request reveals NHS Grampian racked up total repair costs of just under £560,000 since January 2023 for its Raac-riddled properties.
This accounts for 83.6% of the total cost to repair Raac-affected buildings throughout Scotland’s health boards.
October 17: A cohort of 70 private homeowners in Torry vote to cease engagement with Aberdeen City Council in a private meeting. The ACC appointment of AtkinsRéalis to begin valuing their homes was met with further claims that the process is unfair to the homeowners.
Scotland-wide Raac numbers revealed
November 12 2024: The Scottish Housing Regulator published updated information on Raac in social housing.
16 landlords identified the presence of Raac in some of the homes they provide to tenants, saying 2,445 homes are affected.
Private homeowner numbers are not included in these figures.
Aberdeen City Council was listed alongside Almond Housing Association Ltd, Angus Council, Bield Housing & Care, City of Edinburgh Council, Clackmannanshire Council,
Dundee City Council, Link Group Ltd, Linstone Housing Association Ltd, North Lanarkshire Council, River Clyde Homes, Sanctuary Scotland Housing Association Ltd – which has one unoccupied property in Aberdeen containing Raac, South Lanarkshire Council, Stirling Council, Viewpoint Housing Association Ltd and West Lothian Council.
December 2024: Aberdeen City Council officially lodges documents outlining the proposed demolition process of 372 buildings in Balnagask.
It will see 504 addresses on North Balnagask and Balnagask Roads, Farquhar Road, Pentland Crescent, Pentland Place, Rockall Place, Downies Brae and Girdleness Road wiped out. Of these, 366 belong to the council and the remaining 138 are privately owned.
MP calls for UK Government financial support
January 2025: After being accused of towing party lines and not standing up for his constituents, Aberdeen South MP Stephen Flynn makes the case to the UK Government to stump up cash to compensate homeowners in Torry.
The SNP Westminster leader said he wants UK ministers to find money to help affected homeowners in the Balnagask area.
After trying to secure a meeting to discuss the issue for “many months”, Mr Flynn met UK building safety minister Alex Norris.
Mr Flynn told the P&J: “The situation in Torry continues to be unbearable for many homeowners and I’ll be asking the UK Government to do one simple thing – open the cheque book.”
Slow progress of ACC buy-back scheme amid low home offers
February 5 2025: An Aberdeen City Council report revealed that the local authority was yet to acquire a single home from private owners as part of its voluntary scheme to buy back the former local authority housing stock.
It’s no surprise, as homeowners speak out on “insulting” valuations with some offers as low as £20,000 for flats and £68,000 for three-bed family homes.
At a closed meeting in the White Cockade pub, the Torry Community Raac Campaign group said they believed the average affer to be between £35,000 and £55,000 less than what homes were valued at before the news of risky Raac was announced.
Bad news for Dundee revealed and date set for Torry
March 11 2025: Aberdeen City Council announces a potential demolition completion date of 2028 for Torry’s Raac homes.
Proposals for initial demolition and landscaping were agreed on by the council’s Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee.
The project will be completed in four phases, with vacant terraces or individual groups of properties already fully owned by the council being targeted first for demolition.
March 17 2025: Dundee is revealed to have 900 homes containing Raac making it the worst-affected local authority in Scotland.
April 24 2025: P&J launches Trapped by Raac campaign to support Aberdeen homeowners.
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