Dear D-Jones,

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000
Environmental Information Regulations 2004
Reference No: 24232021

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Kind regards

FOI Team
Information Security & Governance
Chief Executive’s Directorate
Lewisham Council

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Dear D-Jones,

 

 

 

Re: Freedom of Information Act 2000

Environmental Information Regulations 2004

Reference No: 24232021

 

Thank you for your request for information held by London Borough of
Lewisham. Please find below, a copy of your request and our response.

 

In relation to Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete  (RAAC) inspections
and results.

 

Has all RAAC testing been completed? If not, when will it be completed?

 

How many RAAC tests has the Council undertaken since January 2021 for
Council owned blocks?

 

Which blocks were survey and how many were found to be constructed with
RAAC?

 

Does the Council have a plan to ensure that its properties will be RAAC
free? What is the target date to ensure that all properties are RAAC free?

 

How many Council owned properties have updated or completed RAAC risk
assessments since January 2021?

 

 

Response :

 

 

MDA attended site on Thursday 9th November 2023 and carried out
inspections to the 5Nr

blocks. Inspections involved breaking out 2Nr small areas per block, from
the underside of

the roof slab to identify the construction material.

 

 

The findings of the inspection are as follows:

 

Block Areas Inspected Findings

 

Dolphin

Tower

 

Lapwing

Tower

 

Marine

Tower

 

Mermaid

Tower

 

Hawke

Tower

 

In all 5Nr Blocks inspected no RAAC was observed during our inspection of
the roof slab.

 

 

Findings from Lewisham Homes’ Principal Surveyor

In the absence of any historical records, I have reviewed our non-housing
assets and also the sheltered schemes which tend to have large common
rooms that could have a flat roof with RAAC planks.

 

I have undertaken the review as follows:

 

• I have considered the non-housing assets and excluded those that are
within residential blocks (e.g a former flat or similar), have been
demolished or no longer exist. I have inspected the only remaining
asset which is Inglemere Road Hall;
• I have inspected the sheltered housing schemes that were built between
1955 and 1985;
• I have inspected the remaining sheltered housing schemes namely Talbot
Court, The Vineries, Waverley Court, Welland Court and The White
House.

 

I have not found any RAAC roof planks within the accessible areas of the
buildings that I have inspected.

 

 

LH position on Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC)

 

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight form of
construction used extensively to build schools and other public buildings
between the 1950’ and mid-1980s.

This type of concrete is not as strong as standard concrete due to the way
that it was produced. Historically, there have been partial failures of
buildings, and it has recently been reported that several schools have had
to close due to the risks presented by the presence of RAAC.

Using our stock data, knowledge, and surveys, potentially affected
properties were identified in February 2022. A desktop exercise of schemes
built within 1955-1985 did not identify RAAC panels/planks.

A review of our property information indicated that we do not have any
buildings constructed using this technique, however physical inspections
of: Inglemere Road Hall, Talbot Court, The Vineries, Waverly Court,
Welland Court, The White House were undertaken and no RAAC roof planks
were identified within the accessible areas of these buildings.

Our Risk Register details further action to be taken which is to plan to
revisit the previously undertaken assessments including those additional
buildings that may be bought into LBL management post-transition.

LBL should commission consulting engineers (MDA) to undertake and complete
this exercise by the end of March 2024.

 

 

 

We hope you will find this information helpful.

 

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including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes
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[1][email address]

 

You have a right of appeal against this response which you can exercise by
writing to: [2][email address]

 

This must be requested within 40 working days of the date of this
response.

If you are still dissatisfied after our internal review, you can complain
to the [3]Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). You should make
complaints to the ICO within six weeks of receiving the outcome of an
internal review. The easiest way to lodge a complaint is through their
website: [4]www.ico.org.uk/foicomplaints.

Postal address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.

 

 

Yours sincerely

 

FOI Team

Information Security and Governance Team

Chief Executive’s Directorate

Lewisham Council

 

 

 

 

 

 

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