Dealing with RAAC
Our plan
The Scottish and UK Governments must:
- Provide sufficient funding to enable public sector remedial works to be carried out by local authorities and health authorities across Scotland and the wider United Kingdom.
- Allow local authorities and health boards who have already self-funded remedial works to apply for financial compensation in retrospect.
Although this issue first came to light in 2018, the SNP government have dragged their heels, failing to use that time to rigorously assess the scale of the problem and get repairs underway.
It’s entirely unsustainable for cash-strapped local authorities, health boards and more to bear the costs of these works alone.
From our emergency service and healthcare buildings to our schools, colleges and universities, the extent of this dangerous concrete is far-reaching.
Alex Cole-Hamilton
We know that there have been a number of instances where RAAC that had been deemed low risk actually turned out to be unsound, this concrete needs to be removed urgently.
Some councils, like West Lothian, have already begun works for tackling RAAC, but so far that has all been self-funded.
The bill for just a handful of projects is already approaching the hundreds of millions.
To ensure both public confidence and community safety, it’s time for the Scottish Government to do the right thing and provide financial support without delay.
It baffles me that the government can say it was aware of the problem, and yet no money has been set aside to deal with it.
Alex Cole-Hamilton