Was your church, church hall, or other parochial building built between 1950 and 1990? If so, you might need to check if it was built with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC).
You will have heard in the news about the concerns around the safety of buildings built using RAAC. Should you be responsible for a building of around this age and suspect that this material is present, perhaps in a concrete ceiling or wall panels, it is likely to be perfectly safe. As a precaution you are advised to contact your church architect (in the case of a church building) and/or a structural engineer and arrange for a specialist inspection of the building.
If the building does contain RAAC it may not be necessary to stop using it. Your professional advisors will be able to inform you of the appropriate action to ensure that everyone is kept safe. If RAAC is present you should inform your insurers. If RAAC is found in a church, the Church Buildings Team should be kept informed of any proposed remedial work, which may require a faculty.
You can find additional guidance from the Church Buildings Council via this link.
Speak to the Church Buildings Team if you are at all concerned.
