By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
Repairs to a local leisure centre worth £218,000 will go ahead after unsafe concrete was found in the building.
Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, known as RAAC, was discovered in Bramcote Leisure Centre in late 2023.
The decision to approve the repairs was made by Broxtowe Borough Council’s Cabinet on March 12.
The lightweight building material was used in the construction of many schools and public buildings, but a roof collapse last year has triggered urgent repairs.
It has been confirmed RAAC was found in the roof and wall of a 1970s squash court extension to the Bramcote Leisure Centre, which is now used as fitness suites.
The council-owned leisure centre is already considered beyond its serviceable life, with many parts of the roof in poor condition.
The emergency works will extend the leisure centre’s lifespan by another three to five years.
The costs will total £218,000, with a full replacement leisure centre estimated at around £4.5m.
At the meeting, Mohammed Habib, head of asset management at the authority, said “significant RAAC” has been identified in the building.
He said: “This has come about from a specialist survey at Bramcote Leisure Centre.
“We have identified a number of repairs that need to be undertaken. Those that are urgent will be undertaken as part of phase one, those that are less urgent will be undertaken as part of phase two.
“RAAC can be a dangerous material if not properly maintained.
“If we can undertake these works it enables the leisure centre to maintain operations for three to five years while we understand what the longer-term implications are.
“If we do nothing and we end up having to maintain that leisure centre beyond five years it would be at a significant cost of over £4m.”
A surveyor’s report recommends that the RAAC replacement work needs to be urgently carried out within six months.
However, it notes that there is no sign of the concrete failing yet.
The centre on A52 Brian Clough Way was built in the 1960s, and is now run for the council by Liberty Leisure Ltd.
RAAC was widely used between the 1950s and 1990s as a cheaper and lighter alternative to concrete, but is now believed to have only a 30-year lifespan.
Hundreds of schools were forced to close nationwide last September after the material was found in school buildings.
Zulfiqar Darr, Deputy Chief Executive at the authority, said: “We are having our first project inception meeting around the delivery of a new leisure centre on the site.
“I am thrilled by kicking off the replacement project.”
Leader of the authority Cllr Milan Radulovic (Lab) said: “I think the potential for a long-term expense has put this right at the top of the agenda.
“It is something we need to progress now quickly.
“We expect planning [of the new leisure centre] to take the best part of six months to a year.”
