Sheffield Theatres: Probe into Crucible and Lyceum finds 'no RACC concrete present'

The boss of Sheffield Theatres has given an update on its three venues in connection with the ‘crumbly concrete’ scandal, stating "no RAAC is present."

Chief executive Tom Bird said their operations team had gained access to the original 1970s structural drawings from the Crucible Theatre’s three-year redevelopment. They had also looked at the redevelopment of the Lyceum in 2014, which affected ‘every part of the building’.

Sheffield Theatres owns the Crucible, Lyceum and Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse (formerly the Studio Theatre) in the same building as the Crucible.

Mr Bird said: “Based on the current government and ABTT guidance to identify RAAC in the construction of buildings, our operations team can confirm that we do not have trace of this material in the Crucible, Playhouse, Lyceum Theatres or surrounding areas. "

He added: “A more recent due diligence internal review has also been carried out by our operations director who has confirmed the above remains true against current guidance available.”

In August, the government announced some schools were unsafe due to RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) which can fail without warning.

It triggered an investigation into thousands of buildings which could have been built with the material, including hospitals and prisons from the 1950s to the 1990s, but has now passed its 30-year design life.