Barton House residents returning to unsafe building

Some tenants evacuated from an unsafe tower block have moved back in, despite the council providing hotel rooms.

Bristol City Council has set aside £2.6m to cover accommodation costs after around 400 tenants were evacuated from Barton House on 14 November.

But some tenants are moving back in and at least 15 flats are now lived in.

Resident Nuh Sharif said he and his family had returned because his son was "going backwards instead of improving at school".

However, he said he was "constantly worried" about the safety of the building and "half-asleep, half-awake every night, so if anything happens I can grab my kids and go".

Mr Sharif said many tenants were still being charged rent and council tax, despite their homes being unliveable.

He said those not living there should withhold it and should tell the council to "fix the mess first".

Bristol City Council has revealed details of its emergency spending package, which includes a deal with Holiday Inn for hotel stays.

Barton House residents have been staying in temporary accommodation or with relatives.

Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: "We're preparing for every eventuality, whether the building will be found safe in some form with some work or whether it is a permanent closure of the building and we're trying to find people new homes."

A council document says the money will also go towards other private sector accommodation, meals, void loss from the units affected and the possibility of home loss compensation for tenants of the 14-storey tower block that was constructed in 1958.

The document says work will be undertaken over the next month to "determine more accurately the spend required and the likely period of time over which it is required".

It says further cabinet authority will be sought if more funds are needed and advises that not proceeding with the emergency spend "would not address the urgent need to evacuate and rehouse residents".

A structural survey of the block earlier this month found the building would not be able to withstand any impact, fire or explosion due to structural failure.

The block had previously been identified as requiring fire safety remedial works to replace external cladding and to add fire sprinklers.

The council said Barton House was built in a different way to other tower blocks in the city, so it was not expecting the issue to be widespread.

The manager of the local cafe, which has become a community hub for residents, said there was too much uncertainty for them.

"Nobody knows what's happening next, they don't know how long this is going to go on for," said Deniece Dixon.

She said tenants were trying to get support and questions answered but "they feel like they are being ignored and not supported".

When challenged on the council's handling of the incident, Mr Rees said: "I think we've tried to handle it as well as we could have," adding: "No plan survives contact with the real world."

Further surveys will continue to determine whether Barton House is safe or to be condemned.

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