Scot Lib Dems reveal dozens of university and college buildings have dangerous concrete

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has today revealed that more than two dozen Scottish university and college buildings are using a dangerous form of concrete linked to catastrophic collapses and urged the Education Secretary to meet with education leaders this week to discuss a rescue plan and funding for remedial work.

Freedom of information requests submitted by the party to colleges and universities reveal:

• Aberdeen University has identified eight facilities across its Old Aberdeen, Hillhead and Foresterhill campuses at which the concrete is in use.
• Edinburgh University has identified eight buildings at which it is in use.
• Heriot Watt has identified five non-residential buildings,
• Around 50% of roof panelling on the Kydd Building at Abertay University uses RAAC.
• It has also been identified in buildings at Edinburgh Napier and Dundee universities.
• St Andrews has closed the Students' Association Building for remedial work.
• Dundee & Angus College identified two buildings, the Engineering Block and Construction Block of Kingsway Campus.
• Edinburgh College and Glasgow Clyde College also identified buildings where RAAC was in use.

In June, Mr Cole-Hamilton called on the First Minister to set up a fund to support the removal of RAAC from buildings such as schools and hospitals after his party uncovered that RAAC was present in at least 37 schools across Scotland.

This week UK schools minister Nick Gibb told the BBC’s Today programme that “over the summer” the government discovered a number of instances where RAAC that had been considered to be low risk “actually turned out to be unsafe”, including a beam which collapsed that had no external signs that it was a critical risk.

Commenting on the findings of his party’s investigation, Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“Across Scotland we are finding more and more examples of this potentially dangerous concrete in use. We knew it was in schools, NHS buildings and police stations, now we know that it is present across our higher and further education campuses.

“Many of these colleges and universities have taken precautions to reduce the risk but with new evidence from England suggesting that even sites previously deemed safe can catastrophically collapse, it is time for the Scottish Government to come up with a proper plan of action for resolving this issue for good.

“The Education Secretary should be meeting with education leaders this week to discuss a rescue plan and funding for remedial work. Anything less would be an appalling dereliction of duty.

“The Scottish Government have known about the risks this concrete poses for a long time. It’s time for action to ensure that students and staff are safe.”