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Scottish council reveals plan to demolish 500 RAAC-affected homes
Around 500 homes in Aberdeen with potentially dangerous concrete will be demolished and rebuilt at a cost of at least £150m, the city’s council has said.
Aberdeen City councillors agreed the plan yesterday, after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was found in the roof panels of 366 council homes and 138 private properties in the Balnagask area.
The council identified the problem last year during a review of its 22,000 properties following widespread concern over the safety of RAAC, which was used between the 1950s and 1990s.
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Problems around RAAC, which is weaker than standard concrete and more prone to collapse because of its ‘bubbly’ construction, led to around 100 schools in England being either partially or fully closed last summer.
For the Aberdeen homes, replacing roofs was considered among a number of alternative solutions, but the council said demolition was the “quickest and most cost-effective” answer.
Miranda Radley, convener of the council’s communities, housing and public protection committee, said: “This is one of the hardest decisions the council has taken. We recognise the impact this will have on residents, many having lived in their homes for many years.
“The absolute priority has to be their safety.”
The council said demolition and landscaping will cost between £20m and £25m and take up to four years.
Building new homes will cost £130m “or more” and take between five and 15 years, the authority said.
Before the latest meeting, the BBC reported that a protest was held outside Aberdeen City Council headquarters, with banners displaying the message: “Justice for home owners”.
The authority said it will aim to acquire the privately owned properties by voluntary agreement, to “allow demolition to proceed safely and smoothly across the affected area”.
The council said: “Owners will be offered market value along with reasonable legal costs, and home loss and disturbance payments.
“Private owners and tenants will be offered the same rehoming support as council tenants.”
The council said it will advise the UK and Scottish governments about the preferred option, and the financial impact for the local authority and private owners.
The council said it will also ask for a meeting to “discuss funding support for the short-term costs and longer-term housing development requirements”.
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