Crumbling concrete across schools and hospitals
Schools and public buildings across the UK have raised concerns over the safety of reinforced autoclave aerated concrete (RAAC), which has led to closure of schools across England.
RAAC concrete is filled with bubbles rather than solid material like gravel or stone, which makes it more lightweight and cheaper to produce. However, it is far less sturdy and durable, lasting for around 30 years.
Hospitals, courts and some prisons have also been built with RAAC. NHS England has warned hospitals to be ready to evacuate in case building containing RAAC crumble.
Facing immense public pressure, the Department for Education published a complete list of schools that are confirmed to be affected by the presence of RAAC.
The DfE initially raised fears around safety in 2018, when a school roof in Kent suddenly collapsed.
It has emerged that when prime minister Rishi Sunak was chancellor, he cut funding for rebuilding despite the DfE saying the concrete posed “critical risk to life”. Sunak is also accused of cutting the number of schools that received rebuilding support.
Sunak responded by saying it’s “completely and utterly wrong” to suggest he slashed funding for school rebuilding during his time as chancellor, arguing that one of the first things he did in his spending review in 2020 was announce a new 10 year building program for 500 schools.
While this is accurate, it is also important to note that the reach and scope of the problem is far more than the PM has so far acknowledged, and that the budget was insufficient to fully fund the required repairs of crumbling public infrastructure.
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