Fate of Bristol's Barton House will be known in two weeks

Residents who were evacuated from a city housing block will find out in two weeks whether their homes will be repaired or knocked down, a city mayor has said.

More than 400 council tenants had to leave Barton House in Bristol on 14 November due to safety fears.

Mayor Marvin Rees said the councils actions were "proportionate to… put the safety of the residents first".

Further investigation is being carried out with findings due in a fortnight.

Mr Rees said the council's stance was "not to inconvenience people".

"We had a report that suggested to us there was evidence the building was not safe, we spoke to the fire service and found it was proportionate to do what we did as it puts safety of the residents first," he said.

Bristol resident Jill said her son and daughter-in-law moved into her house with their two children after they were told to leave Barton House.

"I'm in a two-bed terrace with a box room and as my other son lives with me we now have four adults, two children and their two dogs and two birds," she said.

Jill said since being evacuated from Barton, her younger grandchild is "quiet and barely speaks" while the elder one was having dreams about all her bones being broken "which has come from fear of the roof falling in".

"It was very traumatic when they had to leave the building. It was dark, freezing cold, there were riot vans there and it was so badly handled," she added.

"People were calling out, asking what's happening and the first my daughter-in-law knew of it was when she saw a film crew when she'd been to the shop and they told her they were being evacuated.

"There didn't seem to be anyone in charge and everyone was asking each other and they were told to get out as much as possible by the following Monday."

Jill said she rushed over to help and the family "had to make do" with whatever could be fitted into her car.

She said the hardest thing was seeing an older lady there who had no family.

"She was stood looking so bewildered. If I could have taken her in I would have."

Jill said although there is a WhatsApp group for displaced residents they are learning a lot through the media instead of the council.

She said there had also been issues with booking taxis for transport despite an emergency line being set up.

On the future of Barton House, Jill said: "I think it's a foregone conclusion it will probably need to be demolished given that it was shored up in 1970."

She asked Marvin Rees on BBC Bristol earlier if the family found a private rental, whether the council could pay for that, but felt the mayor "didn't answer" her question.

She said her son is still paying to keep the electricity meter running in their Barton House flat as they have a "freezer of food, and tropical fish so that's still costing them".

Mr Rees told BBC Bristol earlier with 21,000 families on the housing list in the city at the moment and with 1,000 in temporary accommodation he cannot pretend it is "anything other than a massive challenge to the city".

"We're looking at how we rebuild Bristol, decarbonise it and tackle the housing crises," he said.

Mr Rees said the council will know the fate of the building by 15 December.

Bristol City Council said it is updating Barton Hill residents daily with information on laundry services and security available.

They also announced a widening of free travel and transport yesterday with bus passes available where needed.

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