Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
3mo ago

UK Faces £49 Billion Maintenance Crisis in Public Buildings

Years of underinvestment have led to crumbling schools, hospitals, and other public facilities, threatening essential services and safety.

Image
In 2023, schools were told to close any buildings containing Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (Raac) that did not have existing safety measures in place. Photo: PA Images / Alamy
More than 100 schools, including Parks Primary School in Leicester, were shut in 2023 after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete was discovered

Overview

  • The National Audit Office (NAO) reports a maintenance backlog of at least £49 billion across schools, hospitals, prisons, and other public buildings in the UK.
  • The backlog has tripled over six years, hindering NHS treatment, school teaching, and the justice system, with over 5,400 clinical service incidents annually linked to infrastructure failures.
  • Schools, NHS properties, and Ministry of Defence buildings account for 88% of the backlog, with individual repair costs exceeding £13 billion for each sector.
  • The NAO warns that poor data and short-term budgeting practices exacerbate the problem, with the true repair costs potentially being ten times higher than current estimates.
  • Government officials acknowledge the crisis and have pledged billions for critical repairs, but critics highlight the need for long-term planning to prevent further spiraling costs.