Resident in 'shock' after being forced to evacuate from home in Aberdeen after RAAC concrete found

A teenager in Aberdeen who is being forced to evacuate from her home after an investigation found it contains potentially dangerous crumbling concrete has said she is in “shock”.

Aberdeen City Council announced on Thursday that occupants of 299 council properties within the Balnagask area of Torry were to be moved in the coming months due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

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

Hannah Chowdhry, a 19-year-old Torry resident, said she was not told about the presence of RAAC before she purchased her property.

Hannah invested over £30,000 deposit for a house with RAAC. STV News

She said: “It was just a big shock to me because that’s not something you want to hear as soon as you’ve bought a property. I know.

“I was never told about the RAAC, and I’m not sure if other people in that area were told about the RAAC either before purchasing houses.

“But I think that was bigger of shock that I wasn’t told and that there might be a likelihood that I’d become homeless or have to move somewhere else and just lose all the money that I’ve put into this place.”

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

Hannah, a 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 of the use of substandard building materials.

Wilson Chowdhry, Hannah’s father, said his daughter is spending her “life under threat”.

He said: “This is my 19-year-old daughter. She’s invested over £30,000 deposit for a house.

“Found out literally two to three months later that the roof could collapse on her head. Not only is she unable to pay for these repairs, but also, she’s every day spending her life under threat with a roof that could collapse and kill her.”

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.