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Around 500 Balnagask council houses thought to be built using flawed concrete

More than 22,000 council houses in Aberdeen are being checked for the presence of autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Balnagask flats.
Around 500 properties in the Balnagask area of Aberdeen are affected by RAAC. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson

Around 500 properties in the Balnagask area of Torry are believed to have been built using the lightweight building material RAAC.

More than 22,000 council houses in Aberdeen are being checked for the presence of  reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) lightweight – a “bubbly” form of concrete.

The material, widely used between the 1950s and 1990s, has been found to be present in many schools and hospitals across the UK, including in the north and north-east.

Balnagask from above.
Balnagask is located in the Torry area of Aberdeen. Image: Google Maps.

Although Aberdeen City Council does not expect a lot of their housing stock to have been built with it, the authority is working with independent structural engineers to inspect if RAAC is present and whether further investigations are needed.

Work to date has established that it is likely to have been used in 500 properties in Balnagask, with it predominantly found as precast panels in roofs and commonly found in flat roofs, as well as occasionally in floors and walls.

The council has written to the residents and owners affected on the next steps.

‘Matter of priority’

An Aberdeen City Council spokesman said: “We are liaising with tenants, private owners and occupiers, and landlords as a matter of priority.

“We will continue to keep residents informed and update our website with the latest information.”

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