West Lothian Council will have to foot £85m RAAC bill
Holyrood has yet to contribute despite a plea two years ago for £15 million financial help in the rebuilding of St Kentigern’s. It is understood negotiations between the council and the Scottish Government about support are ongoing.
Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) was a building material widely used in the 1960s. It has been discovered that the concrete is porous when it absorbs water and can begin to crumble, threatening the stability of the structure.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThe Scottish Government maintained that it’s been in regular contact with the council over RAAC issues but stressed that local authorities own and operate school buildings, unlike in other parts of the UK, and as such they have a statutory duty to maintain their school estate.


Linlithgow councillor Tom Conn told councillors debating capital budget plans for this year that the council was trying to carry out a capital investment programme with “one hand tied behind its back” because it had to pay for RAAC remediation without government help.
The bulk of the spending has gone on the rebuild of St Kentigern’s in Blackburn – two thirds of which had to be demolished after RAAC was found three years ago.
A spokesperson for the council said: “The cost of mitigating the impact of RAAC across West Lothian Council’s schools, community buildings and council homes between 2019/20 and 2026/27 is estimated at over £85 million.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad“The largest single RAAC-related project is the ongoing £35 million scheme to rebuild more than half of St Kentigern’s Academy, with discussions ongoing with the Scottish Government regarding additional funding support for this work.”
As first revealed in 2023, the council has already allocated £20.2 million of its own money to the project and is seeking additional support from the Scottish Government to bridge the remaining gap.
Andrew McGuire, the executive councillor for education, said: “The council has done better than any council in Scotland at tackling RAAC head on and we should be commended for that.
“My plea would be that my SNP colleagues speak to their colleagues in the Scottish Parliament and ask that we get some additional funding to help us end the RAAC situation once and for all.”
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdA Roman Catholic high school, St Kent’s is the largest in West Lothian, with a roll in excess of 1,300 pupils travelling from across the county each day. It was built in 1973 and refurbished in 1995/6. An extensive refurbishment of the school was completed in September 2009.
Contracts have also now been issued to carry out RAAC remediation in council owned homes.
A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “The Scottish Government has been in regular contact with each local authority where RAAC has been identified in schools.
“The Education Secretary recently met with West Lothian Council and visited St Kentigern’s Academy, and was reassured on progress made by the council in dealing with RAAC identified in the school.”