Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) has been discovered in two prisons in England, Construction news can exclusively disclose.
Concrete at risk of collapsing was found in October at HMP Onley, a men’s prison in Warwickshire, and HMP Portland, a prison and young offender institution in Dorset, revealed an application for release from information.
The RAAC was at the laundry building at HMP Portland on 18 October and at the waste management unit at HMP Onley on 24 October during the enquiries. Both buildings were closed and renovation works are being planned.
CN can also reveal that since 2018 all prisons in England and Wales have been assessed for the presence of RAAC. At the end of October, 78 prisons were scheduled for further inspections.
A spokesman for HM Prison and Probation Service said: “As part of our ongoing survey of the prison estate, RAAC has been identified in utility buildings at HMP Portland and Onley.
“There is currently no impact on capacity at either site and both buildings have been closed for necessary repairs.”
of Scotland Sunday Post reported on 3 December that RAAC had also been found in ancillary buildings at HMP Glenochil in Clackmannanshire.
However, the UK government has repeatedly deflected questions about the presence of RAAC in English and Welsh prisons.
Shadow justice minister Ruth Cadbury asked the justice secretary last week if the government planned to release information about the matter.
Junior Justice Minister Edward Argar replied: “We are carrying out an urgent and comprehensive program of work carrying out inquiries across our extensive estate, including our secure youth estate.
“The program, which is underway, will continue for the next few months.”
The government began investigating the presence of RAACs in public buildings after the roof of a primary school collapsed in Kent in 2018. Efforts intensified this August, when more than 100 schools were asked to close their RAAC-infested school buildings days before the start of the school year.
Although the RAAC found in the three prisons was not found in buildings used to house inmates, the revelations come amid wider concerns about prison overcrowding.
The Ministry of Justice has pledged £4 billion to deliver 20,000 new prison places, but the number of additional prisoners will rise beyond this in the coming years.
The opening of HMP Fosse Way in May, in which Mace was the delivery partner, created 1,700 places, bringing the current scheme total to 5,600.
