POUNDLAND has scrapped its takeover of one of the old Wilko stores and fans of the discounter are shocked.
The store in Aberdare, Rhondda Cynon Taf, was due to open this Saturday but plans have been abruptly halted.
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Surveys done on the building in the town’s Cardiff Street showed the presence of RAAC-reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.
RAAC is a cheaper alternative to concrete and it was frequently used in buildings in the UK from the mid-1960s up to the 1990’s.
It is less durable than traditional concrete and therefore can be dangerous and pose significant safety consequences.
A spokesperson for Poundland said: “As part of our normal process of assessing new stores, we’ve been carrying out detailed materials surveys of the Aberdare site after obtaining access just a few days ago.
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“After receiving the results of those studies on Thursday (12 October), we sadly concluded we cannot open this former Wilko store as a Poundland and notified the administrator.
“We know how disappointing this will be to customers and colleagues alike, but their safety is paramount.
“It goes without saying we’ll be talking to individuals affected as a matter of priority over the coming days”
Shoppers are disappointed with the news and have been taking to Facebook to share their frustrations.
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One person said: “Aw no gutted its not opening”.
Another added: “Oh no I was looking forward to that as well”.
While another person said: “Shocking what has happened, its so sad”.
Wilko fell into administration in August after failing to find a buyer for the whole business.
In September Poundland agreed that it would buy up 71 of the shops from the troubled discounter.
The 71 shops would add to Poundland’s 800 UK shops which includes a mixture of high street and retail park stores.
Some Wilko locations have already opened up as Poundland, with the first wave of 10 on September, 30.
The discounter encouraged former Wilko staff to apply for roles at the shops saying it would “prioritise” them for jobs.
A further 10 stores opened up on October, 7, and the discounter aims to have all 71 open by the end of the year.
Here is the full list of former Wilko stores that have already opened up as Poundland.
- Broad Street, Stafford
- Pendle Rise Shopping Centre, Nelson
- The Peel Centre, Great Portwood Street, Stockport
- The Mall, Church Street, Eccles
- 36-40 London Street, Southport
- Lord Street, Leigh
- 22/28 East Street, Barking
- 88-90 High Street, Maidenhead
- 2 -12 Bede Precinct, Viking Centre, Jarrow
- Unit 2 The Broadway, Scunthorpe
- Nottingham Street, Melton Mowbray
- Bank Road, Matlock
- Welsh Street, Chepstow
- The Kimberley Shopping Centre, Greens Lane, Nottingham,
- High Street, Worcester
- Civic Way, Marina Walk, Ellesmere Port
- Cary Lane, Brigg
- Fore Street, Redruth
- Victoria Road, Ferndown
- Crane Street, Torfaen, Pontypool, South Wales
Other buildings affected by RAAC
RAAC is a lightweight type of concrete that is normally used in the roof, the floor, cladding and wall construction.
As previously mentioned it was frequently used in buildings in the UK from the mid-60s.
It is believed that many schools and office buildings were built with RAAC concrete.
In many cases, inspections have found that some RAAC planks had defects in them causing them to deteriorate and in some cases collapse.
In September this year new list of schools hit by RAAC concrete crisis was revealed.
This was obviously a great concert for parents and some schools were forced to bring in remote learning for students.
At the time Downing Street stressed that the “vast majority of pupils” were not affected by the sub-standard concrete issues.
Meanwhile, RAAC has also been found in some hospitals putting thousands of NHS staff and patients at risk.
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It was described as a “disaster waiting to happen” by Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey.
The Regulator of Social Housing also warned local authorities that RAAC may be present in council homes that were constructed between the 1950s and 1980s.
