Peterborough College will receive a grant to remove “a very small amount” of RAAC identified in one of its buildings.
The Inspire Education Group (IEG), which runs Peterborough College, says the amount identified in its main hall was “low risk” - but the area has been closed off to students and staff as a precaution.
An IEG spokesperson said: “IEG have been working closely with the Department for Education (DfE) to identify and mitigate the risk of RAAC.
“We have identified a very small amount of low risk RAAC within our main hall at Peterborough College.
“Despite the low risk, we took the decision to close this area to students and staff whilst further surveys were completed firstly by the DfE and then IEG’s civil engineers.”
She added: “We have been working with the DfE and our supply chain to complete works in the hall, and we hope to reopen the main hall in the coming weeks.
“All students have remained in face-to-face education with no disruption to the delivery of education or risk of closure to the college, provision within the hall has been moved to other areas.”
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RAAC was widely used in construction projects between the 1950s and 1960s – but it is now coming to the end of its 30-year lifespan.
The DfE has not specified what the grant funding Peterborough College can access entails, only that it will go towards removing the reinforced concrete.
“We will continue to work closely with schools and colleges as we take the next step to permanently remove RAAC from affected buildings.”
Peterborough College is understood to be the only education setting in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough where RAAC has been identified.
Students travel from across Cambridgeshire to study at the college, including Huntingdon and March.
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