Bristol City Council is to pause housing families with children at a former office block.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees made the announcement today (February 16) as he admitted there are "some challenges" at the controversial Imperial Apartments complex. The mayor wouldn't say whether the existing families at the site would be moved out, but that the review will look into this.
In recent months, BristolLive has reported on many concerns from residents at the former Parkview office complex in Hengrove - now known as Imperial Apartments. Last month, the Bristol South MP asked the council to stop housing families with children at the development, with the Lib Dems then joining the call and one councillor urging the council "to take responsibility".
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Speaking during a press briefing today (February 16), Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: "Tom [Cllr Tom Renhard, cabinet member for housing delivery and homes] is overseeing that process now and he will be talking to officers about that approach to housing at Imperial Apartments.
"I am going to catch up with Tom today.
"Essentially what we do need to do is review it, because we are aware that it is is an imperfect approach, but it was an approach that was available to us. And there have been some difficulties up there, and we need to review how it is working before any more families go there."
The mayor said the council is aware there have been "some challenges" at Imperial Apartments, adding their ultimate aim is to make sure people are housed as good as possible.
Mr Rees said that part of review will look into what happens to families with children already living there.
Information released by the council stated that there are a total of 82 children under the age of five living at the development. The council wasn't able to provide details on children aged above five despite an officers’ warning that no child over five should live at the two-bed units created in the first phase.
Among the concerns raised about Imperial Apartments, a young mum claimed 'they are the worst' and a first-time dad said he feels so unsafe living there that he sleeps with a hammer and a screwdriver next to his bed, with other residents comparing the development to storage facilities and even a prison.
Another young mum claimed that her daughter ended up in hospital because of mould at her flat, while another claimed she is being sexually harassed "all the time".
Mr Rees said the review will look at what is going on and will include elements of risk assessments, appropriateness and safety, among others.
He said that a number of recommendations have already come forward including more regular contact points to be able to intervene earlier when situations might be brewing.
He added: "The first point is to put a pause on new families going in, because that is the easiest thing to do, and then review it and look at how we make sure that option that was made available to us to tackle homelessness is as it good as it could be and should be for people in Bristol."
Do you live at Imperial Apartments? What do you think about living there? Our reporter Estel would love to hear from you. You can contact her directly on estel.farellroig@reachplc.com
Mr Rees continued: "We are responsible for housing and we want good quality housing for people in Bristol.
"It is what we have built our administration on delivering and that is what we are doing."
Police figures showed the number of police call-outs to Imperial Apartments has almost doubled in the past couple of months.
Avon and Somerset Police data shows officers were called to Imperial Apartments in Hengrove 73 times from mid-November 2021 to January 31, 2022. This means that, in those two and a half months, officers were on average called 29 times to the site each month.
Bristol City Council, which rents nearly 70 per cent of the properties at the site, had previously admitted that the use of a former council office block in south Bristol for housing is "not an ideal option" and city mayor Marvin Rees described it as 'the least worst option'.
However, the council has defended its decision, saying the site has provided housing for more than 200 people.
Caridon - the developer behind the controversial conversion - has previously said Bristol City Council is happy with them.
In summer 2020, the council revealed it was planning on housing people in the complex which was being redeveloped by Caridon, a company which was the subject of a Newsnight investigation as residents in one of their developments in London complained about overcrowding, the mix of people, violence and substance misuse.
At the time, housing chiefs at Bristol City Council admitted they had concerns about teaming up with a developer accused of creating “human warehousing” - but said they were "determined to make this development a success and thriving community in which to live".
Caridon turned it into homes without the need for planning consent under permitted development rights, which meant the usual regulations stipulating minimum sizes did not apply.
According to the floor plans submitted to Bristol City Council, studios at the development start at 18m2 - which is smaller than the average 29m2 shipping container - while the two bedroom flats at the site start at 38m2 and go up to 76m2.
The law was changed last year and it now requires new homes built under permitted development rights to be over 37m2, with two-bedrooms units being a minimum of 61m2.
Read more: Imperial Apartment residents compare site to storage facilities
Read more: Imperial Apartments houses more than 80 children under the age of five
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