Bristol City Council is selling off six buildings – including two family support centres – in the hope of raising £3million to help plug a huge budget shortfall. South Bristol Rehabilitation Centre, which the authority shut controversially last year and later apologised to staff for their “appalling” treatment, is also up for sale.
Mayor Marvin Rees’s cabinet agreed the properties, which will be assessed for suitability for housing prior to sale, were no longer needed, although council staff are based at four of them and will have to relocate, while the remaining two are home to other organisations. One of the buildings, at Capgrave Crescent in Brislington, where 24 employees work, is a “children’s therapeutic hub” and family contact centre for foster carers and kids in care, providing therapy rooms and a “life-skills kitchen” for youngsters.
A report to cabinet said: “Early discussion with Service lead would suggest a need to continue to provide this service.” A tweet by Mr Rees during the meeting, however, suggested that the freehold buildings were “disused offices” and “derelict” and did not mention their current use, including therapy for young people that the council is responsible for looking after.
