Raac: St David's Hall closes with immediate effect as inspection underway for unsafe concrete

One of Wales' main entertainment venues is to close with immediate effect as inspections take place looking for unsafe Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac).

Cardiff Council says additional checks are taking place on Raac found at St David's Hall.

It comes after two Welsh schools were recently told to close over concerns about dangerous concrete in their buildings.

Cardiff council says it's been aware of Raac in St David's Hall since 2021 and the need to manage it. It says regular inspections have been held by independent structural engineers in the past 18 months to ensure the building is safe.

The local authority says the decision to temporarily close the building comes after a change in the advice on Raac, which has been issued by the Health and Safety Executive.

It adds that throughout this time no issues were raised about the condition of Raac in the building and there was no evidence of deterioration. It says this still remains the case.

In a statement, the council has said it has "continued to engage with its insurers and expert structural engineers and, based on advice received today from those experts, we believe it is prudent and responsible to carry out intrusive surveys to further reassure ourselves and the public on the safety of the Hall.

"This will require drilling into panels to confirm their interior construction and to determine if any further work is required to ensure continuing safety.  

"We expect this procedure could take at least 4 weeks, and we will look to re-open the Hall as soon as possible, dependent on any action which may or may not be required.

"We know this will cause a lot of inconvenience and disappointment, and we would like to apologise to all our customers, but we hope you will understand that the safety of audiences, staff, artists, volunteers, and everyone at the venue is paramount, and that the Council is obliged to act in response to the updated HSE guidance and expert advice.

Professor Chris Goodier, a leading expert on Raac at Lougborough University, previously explained the difference between Raac and modern concrete to ITV News' Daniel Hewitt

The council added: "We will be contacting promoters and hirers to discuss the potential for rescheduling performances and to review all other options.

"There is no need for customers to contact St David’s Hall, we will be in touch with all ticket holders about options available to you once we have spoken with each affected show’s promoter.

"We would be grateful if customers could give us the space to undertake this work so that we can come back to you as quickly as possible about your ticket purchase/cancelled event."

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