Mayor Marvin Rees issues update on evacuated council tower block

Mayor Marvin Rees has issued a statement about the evacuation of a council tower block in Bristol.

Hundreds of residents of the 1950s-built tower block Barton House in Barton Hill were asked to leave their flats yesterday as a precautionary measure when surveys revealed serious concerns over the building’s structure.

Council officers continue to liaise with residents to ensure they have what they need for another night away from home and suitable accommodation arrangements in place.

Mr Rees, who is currently out of the country to take part in the Commonwealth local Government Forum’s conference on climate and migration in Kigali, thanked residents for their patience.

He also extended his thanks to the family, friends, volunteers, faith leaders and community groups who have come forward to provide support.

He said: “We have made the decision to evacuate Barton House because we are putting the safety of our residents first and foremost. We understand the disruption and inconvenience this has caused, but rest assured our top priority is to make sure everyone is looked after and updated as the situation unfolds.

“We are working as quickly as we can to carry out the necessary further investigations and surveys on the building to ensure we have a full understanding of the situation.

“Yesterday, council leaders made the difficult decision to evacuate residents of Barton House. While there is no evidence of an immediate risk to life, this precautionary decision was taken following receipt of results from surveys undertaken to assess the building’s structure. These surveys were ordered as part of work to assess potential future options for Barton House given its age and method of construction.

“A survey of three out of 98 of the flats has indicated that the building may not have been built to the specification set out in its design. A number of issues have emerged that suggest the building’s construction is sufficiently different to its blueprints that there is a material risk to the structure of the block in the event of a fire, explosion or large impact.

“This includes the apparent lack of structural ties between the floors and the load-bearing external walls. 

“There is lower fire resistance of these structural elements and less concrete cover than set out in the original plans for the floors. Even if there was concrete cover as thick as set out in the original plans, this would still be less than would be used in a building built today.

“We are working at pace to complete further surveys now, to go deep into the structure and understand when it would be safe for residents to move back into Barton House.”

Mr Rees added that the surveys will take some time to complete, so residents will need to be away from home while they are carried out. He stressed that the council is working as quickly as it can to find everyone suitable temporary accommodation.

The Mayor added that 57 hotel rooms were provided to families in need and four people stayed at a rest centre at City Hall. But nine households decided to stay in their property and 29 households did not answer their doors, so may not have been home.

He said: “We are working throughout the day and evening to make contact with those households we couldn’t speak to yesterday and continue to have an ongoing dialogue with those who chose to stay inside Barton House. All other households chose to stay with friends and family.

“Officers have made every effort to acquire and prepare emergency accommodation for residents. More rooms are becoming available by the hour with further expected to be secured by the weekend.”