Residents of a luxury apartment complex in South Bristol have been left without heating or hot water, after the boiler system for the building broke down. A resident of Lakeshore contacted Bristol Live, claiming that the only functioning boiler for the facility stopped working on Friday and that residents were being asked to foot the bill for temporary boilers that could cost "tens of thousands of pounds" between them.
A spokesperson for Residential Management Group (RMG), which runs the site, said that they "totally sympathise with the residents" and are doing "all we can to minimise the cost". They added that they are bringing forward an existing boiler replacement project, due to commence this week, which was always going to necessitate the use of temporary boilers.
Formerly the headquarters of Imperial Tobacco, the seven-storey, Grade II-listed building was re-opened in 2012 as Lakeshore and is home to almost 300 apartments available to buy or rent. Lakeshore and its developer Urban Splash garnered several prizes for the conversion, including a gong in the Sunday Times British Homes Awards in 2013.
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Urban Splash describes Lakeshore as a "unique development of eco homes", with the launch brochure marketing "amazing modern apartments sat in their own private park on top of a lake". However, the boiler breakdown is not the first complaint to be voiced by residents over the years.
In 2017 there were complaints of damp and mould as well as maintenance and security issues, and some residents went to court to fight parking tickets they claimed should never have been given. In 2019 Bristol Live reported frustration about water leaking from the third floor, with one resident claiming that two years of complaints had not led to a fix.
Speaking about the building's recent boiler breakdown, a spokesperson for Residential Management Group said: "We completely understand the customer's concerns, and we are working to get the matter resolved as soon as possible. Due to historic problems with the boilers and following professional advice we have been working on a project to replace the boilers and this was due to start in the next couple of weeks.
"Due to the breakdown in the boilers this weekend we have brought forward the replacement to commence this week. Temporary boilers were always required during the transition from the old to the new boiler system and are already built into the project's overall costs. They will be put in place [today] to resolve the current problem.
"We totally sympathise with the residents and are doing all we can to minimise the cost and ensure they have a new boiler system as soon as possible. RMG has a 24/7 support team available to answer any questions or concerns homeowners have during this difficult period."
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