Hundreds of homes with RAAC concrete to be evacuated in Aberdeen

Hundreds of residents are to be evacuated in Aberdeen after an investigation found their homes contain potentially dangerous crumbling concrete.

Approximately 500 homes in the Balnagask area of Torry, including 364 council properties, were confirmed to be affected by the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in February.

The material, widely used between the 1950s and 1990s, is said to pose a “serious risk”.

Aberdeen City Council announced on Thursday that occupants of 299 council properties within the area were to be moved in the coming months.

This comes after an independent structural engineers’ report on February 22 recommended to relocate council tenants to alternative accommodation “as soon as possible”.

Councillor Miranda Radley, convener of the communities, housing and public protection committee, said: “This is an incredibly difficult situation for everyone living in a RAAC affected property, but the council will be doing everything we can to support our tenants during this hugely challenging time.

“These are people’s homes and we need to ensure we support our tenants, but also engage with owners and privately rented tenants, to keep them informed on this matter.”

The council says it has written to affected tenants, inviting them to meet a housing officer to discuss their housing options.

The evacuation comes after fears began mounting with local residents about the structural integrity of the buildings in November 2023.

Hannah Chowdhry, a Torry resident and 19-year-old law student, previously launched a petition with the aim of getting the Scottish Parliament to allocate a budget to support homeowners in the Balnagask area who purchased ex-council homes without being informed about the use of substandard building materials.

Council officers are now exploring options for the long-term viability for the site and confirmed a detailed appraisal will be presented within six months.

The Communities, Housing and Public Protection Committee committee has agreed to set aside an initial £3 million to cover the rehoming programme.