7 days ago
- General
- Edinburgh Reporter
Council advised of significant RAAC costs in low-rise block in Leith
The council has been warned that it faces potentially serious costs for new repairs to a low-rise block in Leith.
There are questions over the reason for delays in the council acting on reports of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in a Leith low-rise block.
The City of Edinburgh Council carried out a survey of RAAC in buildings where it owns homes in 2024 – but officers say a report of the compound in the roof of a block with council flats was missed.
According to a report set to be considered by Edinburgh councillors next Tuesday, the city failed to follow up with a homeowner who raised the issue – meaning the block's roof was never investigated.
The report details how a homeowner made the report last year, and followed up in May 2025 after the city offered to buy 17 flats in buildings with council tenants to make costly repairs.
The council is now reinvestigating the presence of RAAC across the entirety of the council's housing stock, including all flat blocks with flat roofs.
RAAC is believed to be present in at least two blocks in Leith, and council officers think it could be present in six other blocks.
According to the report, the council may face a 'significant financial impact' alongside owners of flats in RAAC-affected buildings, and that costs of fixing it are unbudgeted.
Additionally, it says that the council will be unable to cost any repairs until the two investigation efforts are completed.
Officers will investigate blocks built by the same architect as the two affected blocks in Leith to check if they have the compound.
In addition to those checks, officers will also look at data for all low-rise council blocks in the city in order to exclude buildings from checks where the presence of RAAC is impossible.
This includes buildings constructed before RAAC was used in the UK construction industry.
Officers say the timeline for this analysis will be subject to 'the scope and investigation and extent of the findings.'
Green councillor Alys Mumford said she is concerned about the lack of follow-up, and said Green councillors will be asking questions of officers at the meeting.
Cllr Mumford said: 'We're pleased that Council officers are taking this seriously, and would like to thank the homeowner for continuing to raise the issue so that we can make sure all council tenants are protected from any potential RAAC issues.
'This is not the first time we have heard of residents' significant concerns not being acted upon, and so of course at the Committee meeting we will be asking questions about the delay in responding when this was first raised, and if any changes need to be implemented in Council processes to ensure that this doesn't happen again.
'While we're hopeful that the re-investigation won't turn up any further instances of RACC, we think it is absolutely right to be doing a second, thorough, process to protect our residents.'
The report also said repair costs in each of the two affected flat blocks in Leith will be subject to discussions between homeowners in each of them.
RAAC was a building material often used in the construction of publicly-owned buildings in the UK up to the 1990s. It was popular for its low cost, low weight and fire resistance, but it can fail if it comes into contact with water for extended periods of time.
Several council primary and secondary schools are affected by RAAC, as well as the Blackhall Library, which closed temporarily until fixes could be implemented last year.
After last year's survey, council officers found that 72 current and former council flats in the city used a certain type of RAAC roof panels, with the council still owning 44.
Of the five affected buildings discovered, three were terraced rows of six houses, and two were low-rise apartment blocks.
During the works, both council and private residents of the buildings will need to be temporarily moved out.
Councillors will consider the report at the next meeting of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee on Tuesday, August 12, which you can view here.
by Joe Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
Edinburgh City Chambers. © 2025 Martin McAdam
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