Concert hall to stay shut until 2025 over RAAC fears

A concert hall in Cardiff will remain shut until 2025 amid concerns over crumbling concrete.

Cardiff Council has said the roof of St David’s Hall will need to be completely replaced – work which could see the venue closed for around 18 months.

Over recent months, several public buildings across the UK have been affected by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), including hospitals and schools.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has said the building material has now passed its intended lifespan and could fall without warning.

Experts have been carrying out tests at St David’s Hall over recent weeks, since RAAC panels were identified.

A number of the more than 900 panels in the roof are either classed as “red – critical” or “red – high risk”, according to a council report.

The recommendation of engineers is the venue stays shut until emergency temporary mitigations are put in place or the whole roof is replaced.

The council says mitigation measures would take “at least six months to install” and likely cost “several millions”.

However, the roof would still have to be replaced regardless and Cardiff Council’s cabinet now recommends fixing it in one go.

Stars who were set to perform at the venue over the coming months included Strictly Come Dancing stars Janette Manrara and Aljaz Skorjanec, singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor, writer Grayson Perry, as well as bands Wet Wet Wet and Go West.

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The council was in the process of entering into a lease agreement with AMG.

AMG remain committed to investing in St David’s Hall, according to the council, and it plans to reopen the venue “well in advance of” the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in summer 2025.

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