The developer behind a controversial redevelopment of a former office block in South Bristol has said it is "going above and beyond the service presented by most landlords".
Caridon's words came after a council review into the controversial Imperial Apartments development published this afternoon found that the site is "suitable for many families with children". Back in mid-February, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees announced the council was to pause housing families with children there while a review was carried out as he admitted there are "some challenges" at the site.
This came after BristolLive reported on many concerns from residents at the former Parkview office complex in Hengrove and a request from the Bristol South MP 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".
Read more: Council to restart housing families with kids at Imperial Apartments
A Caridon spokesperson said: “The report outlines the chronic housing crisis in Bristol with demand vastly exceeding supply. The number of homeless presentations to the council has remained at historically high levels since January 2019 with over 500 homelessness presentations a month.
“Whilst Caridon recognises there are still some challenges, as there are in any form of multi-unit accommodation, we are providing a viable and accessible solution to the council to help steer people away from homelessness - an option which has supported over 300 households away from homelessness so far which is something we are very proud of. Rents are set at LHA rates, which makes Imperial Apartments more affordable than the majority of private rented accommodation in the city.
“We are also going above and beyond the service presented by most landlords, providing high levels of security and concierge, developing indoor soft play areas, multi-function on-site gyms, IT rooms, outdoor zen gardens and playgrounds, running community events and providing funding for them. We will continue to improve our on-site facilities, develop tenant community groups and support the people who reside at Imperial Apartments.”
There are 465 units of private rented accommodation at Imperial Apartment and Bristol City Council rent out 316 of them, more than two-thirds of the total. With 108 children there in total now, nearly third (101 households) have children living in them.
The review - which is signed by the council's head of housing options Paul Sylvester - concludes: "Although Imperial Apartments may not be our preferred option, this review finds that, in line with legislation considering ‘suitability’, it is suitable for many families with children.
"Nevertheless, there are opportunities to improve the experience of families at Imperial Apartments by implementing the recommendations in this review, and these will be followed up by officers in communication with the Cabinet Member for Housing."
The review - which makes a total of 18 recommendations - assessed suitability on multiple factors including the physical condition of accommodation, affordability, overcrowding and risk of violence from any person. A total of 322 households have moved into Imperial Apartments through the referral agreements, according to the report, including 198 from homelessness prevention teams.
