Greater Manchester social housing landlords ‘urgently assessing’ concrete in homes

Social housing landlords across Greater Manchester are 'urgently assessing' their properties after warnings that some could contain dangerous concrete. However, most social housing providers in the city-region say the risk of their homes containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) is low.

It comes after the Regulator for Social Housing wrote to all providers in England on Thursday (September 7) instructing them to check for RAAC in their properties. It follows the partial closure of some school buildings where this type of lightweight concrete which could suddenly collapse has been found.

So far, seven schools in Greater Manchester have been affected by new government guidance on RAAC. But some schools haven't been assessed yet.

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Local authorities are now investigating whether other publicly-owned buildings - such as swimming pools, market halls and libraries - contain the lightweight building which was used between the 1950s and mid-1990s. RAAC was primarily used in buildings that have a large, unsupported roof.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted more than 30 social housing providers operating in Greater Manchester to ask if any of their properties contain RAAC. None of them reported any confirmed cases.

Most of the providers who responded, which includes One Manchester, Great Places and Southway, confirmed they are assessing their properties for signs of RAAC. Some, including Salix Homes and ForHousing have commissioned specialist surveyors and structural engineers as part of their investigations.

Manchester council, which is now responsible for homes previously owned by Northwards, has already