We got two hours to evacuate our RAAC riddled house

Standing beside the steel fence now surrounding the block of residences he as soon as referred to as house, Jimmy Vallance seems to be up on the steel shutter bolted to his front room window.

He shakes his head and sighs

“It’s such a shame to see it like this,” he says.

Jimmy lived within the most sensible flooring flat in Tillicoultry for greater than 40 years with none issues.

That used to be till October 2023 when he and his spouse, Fiona, have been ordered to depart with simply two hours’ realize after inspectors found out Raac concrete within the roof of the development.

“It was a shock” he says.

“Two or three weeks later you’re sitting in temporary accommodation, looking at four walls. You’ve got no furniture of your own. You’re surrounded by boxes. And it’s like, ‘oh man, this is depressing’.”

Potentially unhealthy Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete – an inexpensive, light-weight development subject material extensively used between the 1950s and 1980’s – used to be found out in 3 blocks of residences in Tillicoultry round the similar time

The 27 houses, 10 of that are privately owned, were off limits ever since however the council says it it operating with citizens on an answer.

Raac stands for strengthened autoclaved aerated concrete.

It is a light-weight subject material that used to be used most commonly in flat roofing, but in addition in flooring and partitions, between the 1950s and 1990s.

It is a less expensive choice to plain concrete, is faster to provide and more uncomplicated to put in.

It is aerated, or “bubbly” – like an Aero chocolate bar.

But it’s much less sturdy and has a lifespan of about 30 years.

Its structural behaviour differs considerably from conventional strengthened concrete.

Moreover, it’s prone to structural failure when uncovered to moisture. The bubbles can permit water to go into the fabric.

Raac is continuously lined with some other subject material, similar to bitumen on roofing panels. But this subject material too can degrade.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) stated Raac used to be now past its lifespan and would possibly “collapse with little or no notice”.

Jimmy and his spouse spent 15 months residing in transient lodging in close by Alva which he says took a toll on their bodily and psychological well being.

In November closing yr the 64-year-old used to be using to a protest on the Scottish Parliament – to call for extra lend a hand for Raac affected householders – when he unexpectedly felt in poor health.

At the roadside he suffered the primary of 3 seizures that resulted in him being positioned in an brought on coma for 24 hours.

“High blood pressure and the stress of being in the situation we’re in. I think that combination built up, and built up and it just suddenly hit me.

“Whether my seizure used to be caused by the tension they are able to’t actually say however it has got to have had some roughly have an effect on.”

For Jimmy, and the other homeowners, a major source of stress is continuing uncertainty about what will happen to the buildings.

Having spent more than 18 months stewing over potential options including demolition, the conversation has now shifted towards repairing the flats.

“If it is repaired then we’ve got were given to come up with the money for the restore,” Jimmy says.

“Do I am getting loans? Do we get a mortgage from the council? I do not need a loan however can we cross to a financial institution? At the tip of the day I’m within the state of affairs the place I don’t have the funds for that.”

Clackmannanshire Council said it is committed to working with private homeowners on the issue of Raac.

But, frustrated at what they see as a lack of support, residents have set up a campaign group.

They hope a meeting with council officials and contractors on Monday afternoon will offer some clarity.