Skip to content

Barton House residents cannot return 'for two to three weeks'

PA An aerial view of Barton House, a tower block in Bristol, with the city in the background PAPA
A major incident was declared when it was found Barton House was unsafe

Residents of a Bristol tower block evacuated over safety fears have been told the earliest they will be able to return to their homes will be in "two to three weeks".

All 400 tenants at Barton House were forced to leave their homes on Tuesday over safety fears.

Families have been staying in temporary accommodation or with relatives.

Bristol City Council has now said "complex and intrusive" surveys mean further delays to their return.

In a statement released on Sunday night, the council - which owns the building - said it was staying in touch with Barton House tenants on a daily basis.

"Updates have been shared with residents this weekend regarding the ongoing temporary accommodation arrangements," it said.

"Residents were advised that due to the need to complete complex and intrusive building survey work, we do not expect households to be able to return to their flats in the next two to three weeks.

"Officers are working hard to identify more suitable temporary accommodation, and housing officers will remain in contact with residents to discuss individual circumstances."

Yousif, his wife and one of their children.
Yousif and Majda are among the residents who were told to evacuate the building on Tuesday

The council also said some residents had concerns over access to food and laundry services and were worried about their pets.

It said it was in "constant contact" with affected residents to find solutions to those issues.

On Friday, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said it will be two weeks before there is any more news about the long-term future of Barton House.

Residents were asked to leave the tower block due to worries over concrete that had not been fitted correctly.

A structural engineer presented a report on the building's integrity to Kye Dudd, cabinet member for housing, services and energy, on Monday, the day before the evacuation.

The findings determined that the building would not be able to withstand any high impact, fire or explosion.

Bristol City Council has said Barton House was built in a different way to other tower blocks in the city, so it is not expecting the issue to be widespread.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC West on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]