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RAAC update

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is a material used in construction in many buildings between the 1960s and 1990s. Its presence has been confirmed in a range of public sector properties across the United Kingdom including schools and hospitals.

05 September
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There has been significant public and media interest in RAAC recently and this page aims to provide parents and customers with reassurance that all appropriate checks and mitigations are in place in West Lothian.

Key points:

  • The safety of our staff and pupils is our top priority, which is why we have taken a proactive approach to address issues around RAAC roofs over the past three years, and have already carried out detailed surveys of our school estate
  • We have carried out detailed surveys of our school estate and specialist engineers were brought in to offer expert advice on addressing the issue. All areas with RAAC roofs in schools have been closed and staff and pupils relocated. Continuity of education has been at the forefront of all the decisions that have been made, minimising disruption to the staff and pupils.
  • We have continued to provide information and updates to parents whose children attend schools where RAAC has been identified. A very small number of schools in West Lothian have RAAC. They are listed below.
  • Despite significant continued pressure on the council's revenue and capital budgets, major investment has been allocated towards dealing with RAAC. This has already enabled work to be completed in a number of properties, with plans in place for all the remaining buildings

Schools with RAAC:

The council has taken a proactive approach to dealing with the RAAC situation; having went through a process of identifying RAAC properties beginning in 2020, with a regular inspection and management regime implemented in 2021.  It was reported to Council Executive in June 2021 that five school properties contained RAAC and regular updates have been provided since.

The schools identified are:

  • Knightsridge Primary School;
  • Balbardie Primary School;
  • Windyknowe Primary School;
  • Riverside Primary School; and
  • St Kentigern's Academy.

A summary of the current status of each along with the capital investment provided by the council is noted below:

SchoolMitigation Actions
Knightsridge Primary School
  • Full closure in November 2022 following structural engineer advice (area of 2,660m2);
  • Total capital investment of £6.7m;
  • Works consist of the full replacement of the RAAC Panels and associated refurbishment works;
  • Programme - Phase 1 of the school is fully complete in August 2023 which allowed the P1 to P3 children and staff to return for the start of the new academic term in August 2023; Phase 2 is on schedule to complete for December 2023, which will consist of the return of P4 to P5 and Phase 3 is in March 2024, that will permit the P6 to P7 children to return and the full school operational.
Balbardie Primary School
  • RAAC is contained to the 1960's extension roof area only (area of 600m2);
  • Area closed in full from December 2022 following structural engineer advice;
  • Total capital investment of £1.9m;
  • Works consist of the full replacement of the RAAC panels and associated refurbishment works;
  • Programme - enabling works and propping to ensure a secondary fire escape route complete in January 2023, remaining construction works commenced in June 2023 and on schedule to complete for January 2024.
  • Balbardie Autism Resource relocated to Bathgate West Nursery building during period of works from August 2023
Windyknowe Primary School
  • RAAC is contained in a first-floor school area of the school and the nursery (area of 600m2);
  • Temporary propping was installed to the nursery toilets in December 2022, followed by a full closure of the first-floor school area in April 2023, both upon structural engineer advice;
  • Total capital investment of £2m;
  • Works consist of the full replacement of the RAAC panels and associated refurbishment works;
  • Programme - nursery was decanted to Bathgate EY's in Summer 2023 to allow a phased construction programme, works commenced in June 2023 to replace the RAAC panels in the nursery area, all scheduled to be complete for Summer 2024.
Riverside Primary School
  • RAAC is contained to the majority of the school (area of 4,000m2);
  • School closed in June 2023. Nursery relocated to Letham PS from July 2023 and primary pupils relocated to the now vacant Beatlie School from August 2023.
  • Total capital investment of £24m requested for a full school replacement, this is pending the outcome of a Learning Estate Investment Programme Phase 3 bid submitted to Scottish Government in October 2022.
St Kentigern's Academy
  • RAAC roof panels contained in around 4,300m2; closure of dining and kitchen areas in November 2022, followed by a full closure of all remaining RAAC areas in April 2023; consists of the CDT, PE, Music, Drama departments, dining, assembly, kitchen, main plant spaces and circulation;
  • Total capital investment of £35m estimated currently;
  • School has remained operational throughout.  The refurbishment of another building on the school grounds is was complete in August 2023 to relocate CDT workshops. PE is currently supplemented using other spaces in the community;
  • Long term solution is expected to be put forward to Council Executive in the near future

The council has committed £10.6m in investment to date through progressing with the replacement of RAAC panels at Knightsridge, Balbardie and Windyknowe.  A further £24m for the replacement of Riverside Primary School and an estimated £35m at St Kentigern's would bring the total RAAC spend in the Learning Estate to £69.6m.

No other schools are affected by RAAC

In addition to our learning estate, work to remove RAAC planks has recently completed at Fauldhouse Partnership Centre, with work ongoing at Lanthorn Community Centre in Livingston and Whitburn Community Centre. This has resulted in funding in the region of a further £7 million being provided by the council to remove the RAAC roof panels in our community assets.  RAAC has also been identified at Stoneyburn Community Centre, which does not require work at this time but has a monitoring regime in place.

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