Schools and hospitals in Powys are currently not in danger from the collapsing concrete RAAC, according to local authorities.

Powys County Council has said it is undertaking a “small number of additional surveys” to check whether school buildings in the area and their wider estate are at risk from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – the aerated concrete which has led to the collapse of several school roofs and the closure of over 150 schools across the UK this week.

The material was developed to be a cheap alternative to standard concrete, being quicker to produce and easier to install, however it is less durable and is thought to only have a lifespan of around 30 years.

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Councillor James Gibson-Watt, leader of Powys County Council, said: “At present, we are not aware of any local authority schools in the county that contain RAAC.

“The council previously investigated the matter in 2020. However, following the recent developments and the additional guidance that has been issued, we are now in the process of undertaking a small number of additional survey inspections of our schools and the wider corporate estate.

“Surveys on the highest priority buildings have already been completed with no evidence of RAAC being present.

“We are working hard to ensure all other surveys are completed as soon as possible and we expect to conclude the additional work within the next few days.”

The crisis has led to other areas of government checking whether their buildings are also in danger of collapse with concerns being raised over court buildings, prisons and hospitals – with three Welsh hospitals finding it in their buildings earlier this year.

Powys Teaching Health Board meanwhile has confirmed that none of its buildings are currently at risk.

A spokesperson for Powys Teaching Health Board said: “We have undertaken a review of our estate in line with guidance from Welsh Government, and the presence of RAAC has not been identified in any Powys Teaching Health Board buildings.”

The news comes as the Welsh Government has asked all local authorities to undertake checks on their estates.

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Jeremy Miles MS, Minister for Education and Welsh Language said the UK Government had kept Welsh officials in the dark until this weekend.

“A number of local authorities have completed their school estate review and it is underway in others. In May, we commissioned a condition and energy survey of all state funded schools and colleges,” said Mr Miles.

“The nature of the survey would highlight any structures suspected of containing RAAC for further inspection by specialist structural engineers.

“On August 31, 2023 the UK Government announced new guidance on RAAC in education settings.  Since then, UK Government Ministers have repeatedly stated that a number of incidents happened over the summer period which led to there being a heightened safety risk regarding the usage of RAAC. 

"At no point was this new evidence flagged to the Welsh Government.”