RAAC concrete has been identified in 60 of Trivallis’ properties on the Gower Estate in Hirwaun, and another 17 privately-owned homes were built in the same way

Welsh housing association Trivallis advised 40 households to move out of their homes earlier this week due to risks posed by Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).

Trivallis RAAC

Source: Trivallis

RAAC has been identified in 40 homes in Hirwaun, a village in South Wales

Following surveys, Trivallis discovered a “critical risk” related to RAAC in one of its homes, and has said that this issue could potentially affect 40 other homes with a similar design.

The lightweight concrete, which is at risk of sudden collapse, was detected in relation to issues affecting the roofs and ceilings. 

RAAC was predominantly used in public sector buildings constructed between the 1950s and 1990s, including schools, hospitals, police stations and some social housing buildings.

RAAC has been found in over 200 schools and 54 hospitals. 

Earlier this month, 364 council homes in Aberdeen were evacuated due to RAAC risks. 

>> See also: Residents moved out of more than 300 council homes in Scotland after RAAC found

>> See also: Southern Housing moves residents out of 60-home block due to concrete safety concerns

The Regulator of Social Housing has previously said that its conversations with relevant experts indicated that RAAC is not widespread in social housing, however it warned social housing providers to check whether the concrete is present in their homes. 

RAAC concrete has been identified in 60 of Trivallis’ homes on the Gower estate in Hirwaun. There are an additional 17 properties on the estate owned by private individuals that are built in the same way.

On Monday, the 10,000-home housing association told tenants about the potential presence of RAAC concrete in the properties, and advised them to move out, offering hotels to people who wanted to leave that night.

Trivallis has said that none of the tenants are being forced to move out, and that “it is up to each family to decide”.

A Trivallis statement yesterday said: “We know there will be anxiety amongst other Trivallis tenants who will be worried that their homes have RAAC which could be dangerous. But, just to be clear, the homes in Hirwaun are the only homes of this type that we own, and our current data hasn’t highlighted other risks.”