Scottish college says 'nothing is being ruled out' over future of campus containing collapse-prone Raac

The heads of a Scottish college say “nothing is being ruled out” as they launch a review into the future of a key building containing collapse-prone Raac concrete.

The entire roof of UHI Moray’s Speyside Wing consists of slabs made from reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as Raac.

The top floor of the building in Elgin is fully closed, and the Raac slabs are supported by props and timber supports as a temporary safety measure, with the structure being inspected by a chartered surveyor every six weeks.

Raac safety measures at UHI Moray’s Speyside Wing | UHI Moray

Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie highlighted the issue in a recent letter to the higher and further education minister, Graeme Dey.

In response, Mr Dey confirmed that the first-floor teaching space will “remain out of use until a permanent solution can be found”, with the next stage being an options appraisal to “decide the future of the building”.

A spokeswoman for UHI Moray confirmed that it hoped to commission an options appraisal before Christmas.

Asked if it could involve quitting the building, she said: “The options appraisal will lead to a range of recommendations being made to the Board of Management to help inform future engagement with the SFC (Scottish Funding Council).

“At this stage, nothing is being ruled out and it’s also worth noting that Speyside Wing is an integral part of the main campus due to it being fully integrated into two other buildings.

“In the meantime, the ground floor is being kept operational by regular inspections of the Raac by a chartered surveyor.”

Last night, Mr Rennie said: "This is bad news for learners in at UHI Moray college.

"Colleges are well placed to provide the workers that key sectors need but pupils are being shunted out because of the risk this building material poses

"Scottish Liberal Democrats have warned of the risks posed by Raac for well over a year.

"It’s not sustainable to leave this up to cash-strapped councils and colleges to pick up the tab."

A total of seven of the Scotland’s 24 colleges have been found to contain Raac, adding to financial pressures in a sector that is already struggling with a £775 million repair backlog.

Borders College faces a bill of about £4.5m to remove Raac from Galashiels Campus, and West College Scotland has seen the book value of its building plummet from £1.8m to zero as a result of Raac.

Meanwhile, Dundee and Angus College recently unveiled a £265m plan to relocate to shopping centre sites, which would lead to the closure of the college’s Kingsway Campus in Dundee, which opened in 1963 and also contains Raac.

A spokesman for the Scottish Funding Council said: “UHI Moray is on the list we published in February regarding the presence of Raac in Scottish college and university buildings.

“Since the issue first came to light, we have advised colleges and universities to follow the recommended Institution of Structural Engineers guidance and access the appropriate technical expertise needed to deal with Raac. We continue to monitor the situation.”

In his letter, Mr Dey said: “The SFC is providing regular updates on the scale of the problem in the college sector and will explore solutions to wider concerns around the college estate as part of its broader work around the College Infrastructure Strategy.”