A planned refurbishment project has been paused so that safety work can take place instead
John Cozens House in St Jude’s(Image: Alex Seabrook)
Council flats in St Jude’s need extensive structural repairs but City Hall bosses have said they are “not going to suddenly fall down”. Four connected blocks of council flats in an inner city neighbourhood have a low chance of collapsing if a gas canister explodes inside the buildings.
According to Bristol City Council the flats are still safe to live in. But structural surveys recently carried out have led to housing bosses scrapping plans to refurbish the blocks, and focus on making them safer and better protected from a serious fire instead.
Two years ago tenants of council flats in St Jude’s successfully campaigned to get council bosses to promise a refurbishment of their homes. The estate behind Cabot Circus includes five blocks of flats built in the 1960s that are in appalling conditions with damp, mould and leaks.
Mothers complained their children suffered from asthma as a result of the extensive mould, and were spending thousands of pounds on damp-resistant paint. In September 2023 the council finally agreed to refurbish the flats, but only after structural surveys were carried out.
The results of those surveys found shocking problems with Charleton House, Haviland House, Langton House and John Cozens House — including that some of the floors are “insufficiently” attached to the walls. Because of the serious nature of the structural issues, the refurbishment has been “paused”, so that major repairs can be urgently done.
The refurbishment of Tyndall House, a fifth block in the estate, has also been paused, however the building was found to be safe as its construction was different. An update on the works was given to councillors on the housing policy committee on Friday, May 30.
Clare Gibb, transformation director of building safety, said: “I am personally ensured that if one of my family lived there, they would be safe. It’s not going to suddenly fall down. But we have to take these actions in a measured and appropriate way. The homes are safe to occupy because we proceeded at pace to do the immediate mitigation.
“The homes do not meet current Building Control standards, but these standards are not retrospective. Had we had independent advice to evacuate, that is what we would have done. We have not had that advice. Instead we have a programme of works to ensure that we maintain people in a safe environment.”
Haviland House in St Jude’s (Image: Alex Seabrook)
Haviland, John Cozens and Charleton were found to have “insufficient” horizontal ties connecting floors and walls. Langton however does have sufficient ties. Haviland, John Cozens and Charleton also lack “sufficient load bearing” above the second floor of the blocks.
All four blocks are estimated to withstand a fire for 60 minutes, however 90 minutes is the current minimum standard. Concrete in all four blocks tested positive for carbonation, meaning some parts are weaker due to corrosion. External masonry walls on the building are “inadequately” tied to the concrete walls.
The gas supply has been removed from the buildings, and residents are banned from using gas canisters in their flats. Fire wardens patrol the blocks in a “waking watch”, and fire alarms will be installed over the next six months. Wind analysis is exploring if a strong gust could cause external wall panels to fall off the blocks. Structural upgrades are also planned to be installed.
The structural problems reflect previous issues at Barton House, a block of council flats which was evacuated in November 2023. Council bosses feared that a fire in one flat could cause the building to collapse, due to inadequate ties between floors and walls. Intrusive surveys later found the building was safe, and residents returned to their homes in February last year.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Caroline Gooch said: “Obviously people are going to have in their head Barton House and worry that if there’s all this work that needs to be done, are they going to at some point be woken up and told ‘you have to move’. I want to make sure this is managed and we’re not going to get in a situation where we have to have an emergency evacuation.”
The council has pledged to keep residents up to date with all the latest information and plans for work. Avon Fire and Rescue Service has assessed the structural surveys and is supporting the council’s decisions on the blocks of flats.
A spokesman said: “We understand this may be a stressful and challenging time for residents, family members and the community. We would like to reassure residents that we have seen the reports and support the decisions taken by Bristol City Council and the mitigations they have put in place, including continuation of the simultaneous evacuation strategy and waking watches.
“Avon Fire and Rescue Service will continue to liaise and engage with Bristol City Council to ensure that residents remain as safe as possible. We want to remind everyone to test their smoke alarms at least once a month, and if there are issues, please fix them as soon as possible if you are a homeowner, or report to your landlord immediately if you are a tenant.”