WARRINGTON Borough Council has confirmed that local schools have been surveyed and none are affected by dangerous concrete.
The Department for Education announced yesterday, Thursday 31 August, that school buildings with confirmed Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) will need to close. RAAC is a type of concrete prone to collapse.
A Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “We can confirm that no Warrington schools have an issue with RAAC. Our schools have been surveyed and no school buildings will have to close.
“We look forward to welcoming our pupils back for the start of term.”
More than 100 schools in England are meanwhile scrambling to make arrangements after being told to shut buildings with the type of concrete prone to collapse.
The government gave the order just days before the start of the autumn term.
Some pupils have already been told they will be learning remotely, in temporary classrooms or at different schools.
Schools found with buildings containing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) have been told they must introduce safety measures, which could include propping up ceilings.
A “minority” will need to “either fully or partially relocate” to alternative accommodation while those measures are installed, the Department for Education (DfE) has said.
But the DfE has not given a timeline for replacing the material, which was used until the mid-90s.
We can confirm that no schools in Warrington have an issue with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC), which is a type of concrete prone to collapse. pic.twitter.com/qIGMUNsH5G
— Warrington Borough Council (@WarringtonBC) September 1, 2023
