A structural engineer will now physically inspect some council homes in Moray to determine if they contain Raac concrete.
Concerns have been raised nationwide that the material, commonly used in construction between the 1950s and 1990s, has a limited lifespan.
School inspections detected the concrete at Forres Academy, which resulted in pupils being bussed to Lossiemouth High School, Elgin Academy, Elgin High School and UHI Moray for some practical lessons.
Moray Council initially conducted a “desktop exercise” on property records of its 6,300 homes to determine if any contained Raac.
Now it has been revealed a structural engineer will physically inspect some properties to ensure none of the concrete is present.
Why are some Moray Council homes now being physically checked?
Moray Council had initially said in March 2023 that none of its buildings contained Raac in response to a freedom of information request.
However, just months later it was forced to backtrack after it was discovered at Forres Academy after government guidance called for a physical inspection of schools.
That prompted a thorough examination of property records for all council homes in Moray to ensure Raac wasn’t in any of them too.
Now physical inspections are taking place to ensure “assumptions” made from the process are accurate.
A council spokeswoman said: “A detailed analysis of property records has been undertaken and whilst there is no evidence of Raac being present, a number of properties will be assessed by a structural engineer based on their non-traditional construction type in order to confirm the assumptions from the desktop phase or highlight any issues for further action.”
Hundreds of residents in Torry have been forced to move from their homes after Aberdeen City Council discovered Raac in the properties.
Raac repair bill at Forres Academy
Dealing with Raac at Forres Academy has left Moray Council with a hefty £600,000 bill.
The figures covers structural engineering, designs and construction works as well as the extra cost of transporting pupils to Elgin and Lossiemouth for classes and extra laptops for remote learning.
The whole building was initially closed for two days while education bosses drew up contingency plans.
Lessons were then able to resume while the whole first floor and two small areas on the ground floor remained closed due to safety concerns.
Some practical lessons, including woodwork, science and home economics, were moved elsewhere due to the classrooms being out of bounds. Some have now returned to Forres.
Moray Council prioritised a replacement for Forres Academy after the Raac was discovered. Funding has been secured from the Scottish Government and the new building is expected to be open in 2027.
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