School given £1.9m for new roof after RAAC found

A school has been given £1.9m for repairs, following the discovery of potentially unstable concrete in its roof.

Reinforced Aerated Autoclave Concrete (RAAC) was found at Donnington Wood Infant and Nursery School.

It is one of more than 200 schools in England with the material used between the 1950s and 1900s, which has now been deemed a safety risk.

The school will stay open while the roof is replaced and children will be taught in temporary classrooms, Telford and Wrekin Council said.

RAAC is a lightweight material that was used as a cheaper alternative to standard concrete and was quicker to produce and easier to install.

But it is less durable and has a lifespan of around 30 years and it is susceptible to structural failure when exposed to moisture.

The council said Donnington Wood Infant and Nursery School was the only school in its area where RAAC had been found.

It said it would take the opportunity to add insulation to the roof at the same time as the replacement work.

The councillor responsible for education, Shirley Reynolds, said she expected "some low-level disruption to nearby residents as construction traffic attends the site" and asked nearby residents to "bear with us while we carry out this essential safety work".

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