By Rachael Grealish

Cumberland Council has announced all upcoming events at the Sands Centre auditorium are cancelled due to the presence of RAAC.

It was confirmed today, Tuesday, September 5, RAAC is present in the auditorium of The Sands Centre leading to the council – who own the building – to make the decision to temporarily cancel all upcoming events.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) is a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and walls, between the 1950s and 1990s.

It is a cheaper alternative to standard concrete, is quicker to produce and easier to install. Recently, dozens of schools across England have been temporarily closed or had a delay to restarting due to the risks posed by RAAC.

Leader of Cumberland Council, Cllr Mark Fryer, said: “Following the government’s recent change in guidance on the use of RAAC in the construction of school buildings, we have proactively reviewed our public buildings. RAAC is present in the auditorium of the Events Centre at The Sands, Carlisle.”

RAAC has a lifespan of about 30 years and is susceptible to structural failure when exposed to moisture.

Cllr Fryer went on to explain it’s only the auditorium that has been affected by the RAAC and the other venue amenities are still operational.

“Although the new main Sands Centre building is unaffected, which includes the pools, gym, sports halls, café, bars and restaurant, the council has taken the decision to close the stand-alone events centre so that further assessments can be made of the older part of the building,” Cllr Fryer continued. 
 
“The 1980s part of the building did not form part of the recent redevelopment work, operates separately from the redeveloped site and is self-contained.

“The events centre building has been inspected on a regular basis in accordance with government guidelines and was compliant until the recent change in government guidance, in late August.

“Improvement works for the older part of The Sands Centre building were part of phase two of the redevelopment and work was already underway to progress these works. This work will now be accelerated.

“The decision to temporarily close the events space is a precautionary step and does not impact the day-to-day running of the main leisure centre.
 
“Events planned for the auditorium will unfortunately be cancelled until further notice. GLL, the council’s events and leisure provider, will contact ticket holders.
 
“This is not a decision that Cumberland Council has taken lightly, and we apologise to anyone who has been impacted.  Further updates will be provided in due course.”