Residents of Barton House flats have staged a protest at council offices demanding to be rehoused after fire alarms were activated and lifts in the tower block broke down. Following the protest organised by community union ACORN, the Bristol City Council’s committee member for housing has stated that alternative housing options are being explored and will be shared with residents in the coming weeks.
The Bristol City Council tenants were evacuated from the tower block in Barton Hill in November 2023 after the building was deemed unsafe due to structural issues with the building and a potential fire risk. After more than three months in a hotel they were told to return to their flats in February 2024 after works were carried out on the building.
The protest at 100 Temple Street is one of many carried out by Barton House residents, some of whom did not want to return in February because they were not convinced that the building was safe. The Green Party who now hold a majority in Bristol City Council made a pre-election pledge to prioritise Barton House residents who wanted to move out of the building.
However, Homechoice, the current system used for social housing allocation in Bristol, would not enable Barton House residents to formally be given priority for housing. In addition to talks with residents set to take place in the coming weeks, residents are being contacted over the recent alarm activation.
Ahead of the protest, an ACORN member said: “The alarm went off at Barton House, causing yet another evacuation and terrifying families and children. This is unacceptable.
“This morning, the lifts are not working again, leaving elderly and disabled residents struggling to go about their day. Bristol City Council needs to rehouse the families who no longer feel safe. Over 90% of us are from ethnic minority communities, and we feel we are not being treated fairly.
“We are heading to 100 Temple Street to let Bristol know that we will no longer accept their excuses. We demand to be rehoused – we can’t keep living like this. Barton House is no longer a home for us.
“Please come and support us. Our children are scared, we are scared, and we need to stand together. Let’s make our voices heard.”
Councillor Barry Parsons, Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee said: “The council takes its duty of care to residents, including those at Barton House, very seriously, and we endeavour to support our residents where we can. It is often the case that the support required is best provided by other agencies, such as GPs, mental health or drug addiction support organisations.
“Where this is the case, housing officers can either make referrals or signpost those requiring assistance, or their carers or guardians. These matters are responsive in nature and dealt with on a case-by-case basis.
“Children and families can access support through their schools. Education settings have access to Primary Mental Health services and have been offered additional bespoke support from the Safeguarding in Education Team and the Education Psychology Service.
“We are exploring housing options as there was a pre-election pledge from the Green Party to support band one priority for Barton House residents who want to move away from Barton House following the evacuation. There was not a commitment from Bristol City Council at the time to promise urgent rehousing by allocating band one, as the HomeChoice Bristol policy does not have provision to do this.
“Officers have engaged with residents of Barton House and their representatives to understand their requests and I expect a briefing on the options available from officers in the coming weeks, which will in turn be shared with residents.”
A spokesperson from Avon and Somerset Police said: “At 10.56am on Monday 2 December we were called to a small protest in Temple Street, Redcliffe. Officers attended to help facilitate a peaceful protest and had left within an hour.”