New safety measures put in place at evacuated tower block, but some tenants say they no longer feel safe

Barton House tenants say that many families no longer feel safe in their homes despite the council giving them the green light to return several months ago. They say the chaos, breakdown in communication and a series of ‘broken promises’ in the months following their evacuation in November 2023 have left many residents unable to trust the local authority.

There are still questions remaining over the safety of the Barton Hill building, first raised in 2017, such as the council’s lack of reply to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request on this issue made back in November, 2023. Although, all but one tenant has been reported as having returned to Barton House, some feel that there is not enough support for those who wish to find alternative accommodation.

But Bristol City Council has said that resident safety has been its 'priority throughout'. The authority also said a number of new safety measures have been put in place at the tower block.

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Shaban Ali reluctantly agreed to return to the block. The father-of-two said: "With the last few residents now reluctantly back at Barton House, the mood is incredibly sombre and it feels like we have been badly let down by democracy. Schools, GPs and various organisations advocating for Barton House residents have been ignored.

"Freedom of Information requests regarding the safety of the building and questions around the letter sent to mayor's office in 2017 requests still go unanswered. All trust and credibility with the council has been eroded; the majority of the residents, especially parents, don't believe Barton house is safe."

The council is currently carrying out routine checks of the building and told Bristol Live in April that there is no ‘cause for concern’ after a tenant Fadumo Farah tweeted about the presence of a survey from engineering firm Arup. Ms Farah said at the time that the company “was instructed by the council not to engage with residents.”

Safety concerns were also raised by Wilfred Stewart who told the BBC last week that he is still terrified that the building will fall down despite being told it is now safe. Yousif Ahmed added in the same report that he worries daily about the building coming down and has an escape route planned in his head.

Mr Ali continued: “It’s quite difficult to not feel like you're living in a conspiracy theory when there's so much push back on the most basic requests, such as the information requests but also home choice application drop in sessions and welfare checks.

"There are so many vulnerable people and voiceless people living in Barton House and a lot more needs to be done to support them. On many occasions we have been told that cases will be assessed on an individual basis but all our homelessness applications have been put on a conveyor belt of generic responses.

"We need to declare a housing emergency and the next incoming central government needs to intervene and help Bristol City council fulfil its responsibilities towards its high rise towers residents who have been ignored for far too long."

A spokesperson for Bristol City Council said: “Since we made the difficult decision to evacuate the building on 14 November, we have put in place a number of safety measures including a centralised fire alarm system and fireproofing of the building’s steel frame. All recommendations made in the survey reports were followed and completed before tenants were asked to return.

“Resident safety has been our priority throughout. We have been very conscious of the impact that the emergency decant had on our residents. Throughout the decant, council officers have been on the ground, at both Barton House and the Holiday Inn, providing one to one support for residents.

“Culturally intelligent advice and guidance for residents needing to access mental health support has been made available from local organisations including Nilaari, The Barton Hill Settlement, and Somali Resource Centre.

“There is a diverse mix of people in Barton House, reflecting the demographics of the community it is located in, and the city’s residents. Regardless of any personal vulnerabilities, residents have shown resilience and strength during a really challenging time.

“Demand on our already limited council housing in Bristol is high which means we cannot place everyone in the type of home they would ideally want. We’re working to build homes, invest in existing stock and respond effectively to any concerns about safety.”