Works on a proposed new hotel on a bustling Dorset high street have been put on hold after surveyors found Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) in the building.

The works on the former Marks & Spencer building in South Street, Dorchester, has paused after RAAC was found in the building.

The building is set to transform into a Premier Inn on the high street, welcomed by the town.

A survey carried out by Whitbread, the parent company of Premier Inn, found the RAAC in the upper floors of the building.

As this could be a health and safety risk, the U Think start-up businesses in the building have been served a notice to leave with immediate effect.

Invented in Sweden in the 1930s, RAAC was used in British buildings from the 1950s to the mid-1990s as a cheaper and quicker alternative to concrete. 

RAAC is less durable than concrete, and is prone to collapse when wet, as moisture soaks into its aerated holes. It has a life expectancy of little more than 30 years.

The presence of RAAC in almost 100 schools around the country caused them to close or partially close before terms started in September. 

Louise Woodruff, Acquisitions Manager at Whitbread, said: “As part of the ongoing design and planning process to bring a new Premier Inn hotel to Dorchester, a structural survey was undertaken to find RAAC in the upper floors of the old retail building.

“We were happy to work with U Think and others to enable start-up businesses to operate from the premises, keeping the building in use during the planning process. However, because of the potential risks posed by the presence of RAAC, we have served notice to the occupiers to vacate the property.

“We will continue to update the community on our plans to bring a new Premier Inn to the town and will be submitting a planning application to Dorset Council for the new hotel in the new year,” she added.