NEATH Port Talbot and Bridgend councils have both said they have not found any reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their schools in statements released this week.
The announcements came after the shocking news that showed RAAC has been used in a number school buildings in England, which raised serious concerns over the safety of the material.
On September 4, the Welsh Government Education Minister Jeremy Miles issued a written statement about the issue, outlining how local authorities had statutory responsibility for maintaining school buildings, and had been reviewing their schools to identify any suspected RAAC.
Neath Port Talbot Council has since confirmed that it has no reported instances of RAAC in any of its schools across the borough, though said that officers would be conducting further investigations, and keeping all pupils staff and residents informed.
In a statement they said: “We can confirm that no reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been identified in any of the county borough’s school buildings.
“While we do not anticipate discovering RAAC in other council managed buildings, we are currently conducting our final inspections. We will keep all parents, pupils, staff, and residents informed of any potential future developments.”
In a similar statement, Bridgend County Borough Council added they had also found no trace of the material in any of its schools.
They said: “Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) can confirm that no reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been identified at any school in the county borough.
“While BCBC is reassured that RAAC has not been found in the construction of any of our schools, officers will continue to undertake final checks where alterations or modifications have been installed over time.
“This is to ensure that RAAC was not utilised in such modification works and, with the majority of these inspections already concluded, we fully expect not to find any RAAC in our schools whatsoever. We will make sure all parents, pupils, staff and residents are kept up to date with any potential future developments.”
