16 May 2024 , 08:39
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A dad has shared the chilling moment he discovered his home was infested with crumbling concrete.
Colin Witherspoon, 52, a builder from Linlithgow, only found out about the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in his property when a surveyor conducted an inspection. The local council had advised him to check for the faulty building material after finding it in similar homes in the area. Colin purchased his house privately 22 years ago from its previous owner who had bought it from West Lothian Council.
Concerns over RAAC have been raised by councils across Scotland as the material is at risk of collapsing. It's often found in houses built with flat roofs between the 1950s and 1980s. "This is a disaster waiting to happen as it could collapse in on my partner and I as we sleep," Colin warned. "Pensioners on my street have the same problem and my fear is that it could happen any day and potentially cost someone their life."
He added: "About six or seven months ago we got a letter through from the council that said they had identified RAAC in similar properties to ours. Since I am a builder I was able to get a surveyor pal in and he found RAAC on the roof. I'm luckily not trying to sell my house but I know of neighbours who have had to take their home off of the market after RAAC was discovered. Properties need to have RAAC removed before they can become insurable and be sold."
Several homes on Avon Drive have found RAAC in their roofs (SWNS)"For me the worries are two-fold, my first fear is that the roof could collapse in and kill somebody, and my second is that it could cost me £30-50,000 to fix. I am fortunate in a way as I still have work ahead of me and may be able to resolve the issue even though it is painful.
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"However we have pensioners looking to hand their properties down. One neighbour recently died and had handed the home down to their kids as inheritance but now they will have to fork out for these repairs. We also have people that have just moved in and have no equity in their property. It is a complete mess."
Colin believes local councils are failing to take responsibility for homes they sold with faulty materials - although he accepts prospective buyers are responsible for checking homes for any issues, reports Edinburgh Live. He blames the scandal for 'ruining people's lives' and wants the local authority to stump up some of the costs for repairs to be carried out.
"For me the least the council could do is speak to us about the issue and ultimately I feel they should be covering the cost for these repairs," he added. "If not all of it, then I feel they should be covering most of it as they used the cheaper RAAC material at the time of building the homes 40-50 years ago.
"It feels like RAAC was used to save on costs and now we have a situation where roofs could collapse in on residents as they sleep. It feels like local authorities across the country are not taking responsibility. This is a disaster waiting to happen and whether that is financially or a threat to somebody's life. It is hard to believe we live in a country that wastes money on so many things but cannot invest in people who have paid into the system their whole lives."
The RAAC in Colin's roof (SWNS)A spokesperson from West Lothian Council said: "Any suggestion that West Lothian Council sold homes after being made aware of safety issues concerning Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) planks is inaccurate. The council last sold former council homes in 2017/18 when the Right to Buy scheme ended, and this pre-dates the identification of RAAC planks in a limited number of council houses.
"New guidance was issued by the Institute of Structural Engineers in April 2023 regarding survey programmes and the presence of RAAC, which was adopted by the Scottish Government, other local authorities and Registered Social Landlords. Owner occupiers who have purchased their home, whether a former council house or not, have sole responsibility of their properties and this has been confirmed by the Scottish Government.
"Where we have identified that RAAC might be present, we have written to all privately-owned home owners/occupiers. Properties with RAAC are not currently designated as inherently defective, and the responsibility for assessing its construction materials and potential RAAC presence lies with the owners.
"Home purchasers are generally required to obtain property surveys prior to purchasing a home. A survey, if obtained, will identify issues of relevance to the purchaser, in line within specific industry requirements for surveys at the time they were obtained. The scope of any survey instructed, is a matter between the purchaser and their surveyor. Those purchasing former council houses had the same right as purchasers of non-council houses, to obtain a survey and to rely upon its terms.
"The council cannot provide financial assistance or undertake private property inspections and does not have any statutory obligations in relation to privately owned properties. Limited support is available to homeowners to help them effectively maintain and repair their own properties via the Scheme of Assistance, with more details available here."