Wolverhampton mayor tells councillors that roof of Civic Centre 'would not collapse on them'

The mayor joked: "It sometimes feels as if, in the face of minor difficulties, that the sky is going to fall in. Can I assure you that neither the sky, nor the ceiling is going to fall in on this building.

"As part of this whole issue, despite the lurid wishes of the Express & Star, it's not going to happen. Let's hope it falls on the right people."

Councillor Hardacre said a small piece of the material had been discovered during a routine inspection, which would be replaced during the summer break.

"The building is absolutely safe," he added.

The council earmarked £450,000 for repairs to the roof in its budget for the coming financial year.

Councillor Ellis Turrell voiced concerns that councillors and staff were not told about the problem, but had to find out about it in the Express & Star.

“We understand that there’s Raac in the council roof, right above our very heads. I have to say, this was news to most councillors and staff who come into the Civic Centre every day," he told the meeting.

"The question I want to be asking is ‘why weren’t all councillors and all staff informed that there is Raac in this building?

“The council bragged and boasted, saying 'there’s no Raac in any of our housing stock or our schools’, but Mr Mayor, they forgot to mention the Civic Centre. They literally didn’t fix the roof when the sun was shining."

He asked how much money could have been saved had the repairs been included in the refurbishment of the Civic Centre in 2016.

"It’s disgusting and insulting that most of us had to find out from the Express and Star,” he said.

Councillor Turrell proposed a motion, which was passed by the council, that council leader Councillor Steven Simkins should report to the authority's scrutiny board, to outline what he knew, and when, regarding the discovery of the material in the building.