HMRC offices in Preston close over fears of crumbling RAAC concrete

HMRC instructed its staff to vacate its two buildings in Preston – St Mark’s and St Mary’s, off New Hall Lane – while specialist contractors inspected them for RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete).

St Marks was closed from Thursday, September 14 to Monday, September 25, while St Marys was closed for a single day on Tuesday, September 26.

HMRC staff worked from home while the inspections took place, but no trace of RAAC was found and the buildings were declared safe.

An HMRC spokesperson said: “St Marys and St Marks were closed temporarily so specialist contractors could safely remove asbestos so they could be inspected for RAAC.

"RAAC was not found and checks took place across both sites to confirm they were safe to occupy before colleagues returned.

"In line with industry guidelines, we are conducting a review of our legacy estate in relation to Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) but have categorised the risk as low.

"HMRC has invested £250m as part of its SR15 settlement to modernise its estate. This means the department has a newer, more efficient estate that is significantly less likely to have any RAAC."

HMRC had planned to close St Mark’s and St Mary's and move its more than 1,000 Preston staff to regional centres in Manchester and Liverpool in 2025, but these proposals have since been scrapped.

The Government department made the u-turn in April, which means HMRC jobs will remain in Preston for the long term.

HMRC said a permanent location for its offices will be announced in due course and said it is yet to determine whether St Mark’s House and St Mary’s House will be retained or if a new base will be established elsewhere in the city.

What is RAAC?

RAAC is a lightweight, 'bubbly' form of concrete commonly used in construction between the 1950s and mid-1990s.

It is predominantly found as precast panels in roofs, commonly found in flat roofs, and occasionally in floors and walls.

Concern regarding the material was first raised in July 2018 following a roof collapse at a primary school in Gravesend, Kent and concerns have resurfaced after it was found to have been used in a number of schools and Government buildings.