Call for action over RAAC as residents 'being left behind'

HOMEOWNERS facing bills of £23,000 to deal with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in their properties have joined calls for a national remediation fund and emergency government support.

- ANTHONY LEWIS Local Democracy Reporter

Residents in Hirwaun who own properties which are affected by RAAC say they are being left to deal with the issue, which was discovered in 77 homes on the Gower estate back in 2024.

At a recent meeting, residents joined forces with the UK RAAC campaign group in calling for a national remediation fund and emergency government support to prevent what the group calls a "looming disaster that could see families bankrupted or made homeless"

RAAC is a lightweight building material used in housing between the 1950s and '80s and it hit the headlines in 2023 after structural issues were identified with it.

Of the affected homes in Hirwaun, 14 were purchased under the Right to Buy scheme and are now privately owned, leaving owners facing five figure repair bills without financial assistance, the group says.