Joe GallopAt least 10 concert venues and theatres in the UK have closed due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their infrastructures.
RAAC, a lightweight building material that was used from the 1950s up to the mid-1990s in the UK, was recently assessed to be at risk of collapse following the Government’s decision to revise the guidance on the material.
Venues to be affected by the presence of RAAC include: Guildhall, Preston (pictured); St David’s Hall, Cardiff; The Orchard, Dartford; Dixton Studio, Westcliff-on-Sea; The Forum Theatre, Stockport; Royal and Derngate, Northampton; The Sands Centre, Carlisle; Core Theatre, Solihull; The Brunton, Musselburgh; and YMCA Theatre, Scarborough.
The venues’ September event calendars have been cleared and it is uncertain when they will be allowed to re-open.
As well as live music venues, schools, hospitals, airports, universities and courts have also been affected by RAAC. The material was also recently found in Parliament but was said to pose no immediate risk.