LOCAL authorities are working hard to identify if council-owned buildings contain collapse-risk concrete.

Colchester Council and Tendring Council both confirmed council officials do not believe any of their buildings contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), which has been found in schools across the country.

Colchester Council said it recently commissioned an engineering review of its non-traditional social housing stock.

A spokesman confirmed: “The review found that the concrete structures in our stock are pre-cast reinforced concrete (PRC), not Raac.

“However, we are double checking to see if any of the materials used are or can be classified as Raac and are reviewing the next steps.

“There is no evidence from our checks that the council’s corporate buildings contain Raac.”

Bosses at Tendring Council, meanwhile, said: “Out of caution we are carrying out a desktop assessment of our buildings to establish if Raac is present.

“However, previous surveys and assessments have not revealed Raac in any of our buildings across our portfolio; this includes our corporate buildings, leisure centres, and housing stock.

“On this basis there will be no closures; if our assessment changes then we will of course act swiftly to put appropriate measures in place to protect the public.”

Essex County Council confirmed it is undertaking a review of its property portfolio, including libraries, to establish if Raac is present.

A spokesman said the authority “will act accordingly if it is identified”.

East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Trust confirmed no Raac is present at Colchester Hospital.