Indoor market closes over RAAC safety concerns

The Bridgend Indoor Market has closed with immediate effect following the discovery of Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) within the structure’s roof.

Rhiw Shopping Centre in Bridgend town centre was closed on Wednesday afternoon September 20) by Bridgend County Borough Council who said they have taken “swift action” in the interests of public safety after a specialist inspection of the building.

The council said further in-depth assessments and surveys will be carried out before any next steps are agreed.

Traders have been informed, and the council will keep them fully up to date on the situation as it
develops. The closure of the market hall does not affect the adjacent Rhiw Shopping Centre, which
remains open as normal.

Inspections

Issues posed by the historic use of RAAC within the construction industry have been well publicised in
recent weeks, and like other local authorities, Bridgend County Borough Council has been carrying
out inspections of all council-maintained premises in line with national advice from UK Government
and Welsh Government.

The inspection process has prioritised local schools, where no areas of concern have been identified.

The authority is currently in the process of checking other premises and infrastructure, and carried out
a visual inspection at the indoor market earlier this month as part of this process.

This determined that a more in-depth inspection by a Welsh Government-approved specialist was
required, which was carried out this morning. The decision to close the indoor market has been based
on their findings.

Further surveying is now being arranged to establish the extent of the RAAC issue, and what the long
term implications may be.

As the council leases the market hall, the authority is also contacting the private owners as a matter of urgency.

To date, the Bridgend Indoor Market is the only premises where a potential issue involving RAAC has
been detected.

A council spokesperson said: “We recognise  the inconvenience and potential hardship this will cause to traders and the impact the loss of the market will have as a popular and busy place where people shop, meet and socialise.

“Bridgend Indoor Market remains at the heart of the town centre, and every effort is being made to
ensure that this closure causes as little inconvenience as possible.”