More Greater Manchester buildings confirmed as having RAAC, prompting fears about their potential use to house refugees

More Greater Manchester buildings have been confirmed as having dangerous crumbling concrete - prompting fears about their proposed use to house refugees. Two sites in Trafford have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) - part of Altrincham's Grafton Centre shopping complex; and an empty shop unit on Crofts Banks Road, Urmston.

Council bosses say they were aware of the problem at the Grafton Centre before the issue hit the headlines recently as impacted schools across the country were forced to close. A £400,000 redevelopment plan for the site was approved last year. Work to sort the RAAC issue is due to be carried out as part of that project.

The RAAC is only is 'some sections', the town hall said. Those areas are closed to the public. The material, which has the potential to suddenly collapse, has also been found in an empty shop unit on Crofts Bank Road in nearby Urmston. Action is being taken to make the building safe.

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Earlier this month, the council confirmed two schools had been confirmed as having RAAC - Sale Grammar and Altrincham College.

A Trafford council spokesperson said: "The authority is well aware that RAAC has been discovered in some sections of the Grafton Centre, which are closed off to the public, and we are planning to deal with it ahead of redevelopment.

"We are also aware that it has been identified in an empty shop unit on Crofts Bank [Road] and we have taken action to make this building safe. It has also been found in two schools and action has also been taken to make them safe.

"The council sent a briefing note to all councillors at the beginning of this week to update them on the