A community centre in West Lothian that closed following the discovery of crumbling concrete planks in its roof structure has reopened to the public, a year later than originally scheduled.
The Lanthorn Centre in Livingston, which has been serving the local community since 1978, was the first building belonging to West Lothian Council found to have an issue with the RAAC (Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete) planks in its roof, and closed back in April 2021.
RAAC is a lightweight form of concrete that was used in roof, floor, cladding and wall construction in the UK from the 1950s to the mid-1980s. It is less durable than reinforced concrete and is prone to cracking and structural failure if exposed to moisture.
The local authority funded a project to remove and replace the roof deck of the Lanthorn Centre and Chapel Annexe, after significant structural issues were identified.
The reopening of the centre, which is run by a management committee, was dogged by delays. The building had been left without a roof last winter which resulted in damage.
Photographs taken at the time showed extensive damage caused by water over the winter months.
Construction firm Heron Bros were appointed as a new contractor in April 2024, with the objective of completing the project as quickly as possible to allow use of the valued community facility again. Work then progressed well.
Previously another firm had been awarded a £2 million contract in October 2022, the same company was given an additional £450,000 to accelerate the works before being removed from the project.
The local authority’s SNP councillors were given an assurance that the cost of the lengthy delays would be revealed at a meeting next month and made public.
At an Executive meeting of West Lothian Council on Tuesday, Councillor Willie Boyle asked what additional costs had been attributed to the delay?
Property and Estates Manager David Baird, advised that they were waiting to receive the final accounts, that they should be back within a month, and that snagging work was being made good.
He added: “We are pushing the contractor and quantity surveyors to tidy up accounts as quickly as we can.”
The centre and its café reopened on Monday, January 13 with the reopening of the library the following day.
In addition to the community centre, the complex also includes St Philip’s Church and Livingston United Parish Church, reopening dates for both have still to be confirmed.
Leader of West Lothian Council Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: “We are delighted that the Lanthorn Centre is back open. It’s an important local facility and it was a huge blow when it had to close due to structural issues. However, the council invested significantly in this building to ensure it re-opened once again, and it will hopefully serve the community for a long time to come.”
You can find out about events happening at the centre on their Facebook page, search for Lanthorn Community Complex.
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