Report criticises Bristol City Council over evacuation of Barton House tower block
A report has criticised Bristol City Council for its handling of the evacuation of Barton House tower block, citing failures in communication and resident support during the process.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
An independent report has heavily criticised Bristol City Council for its handling of the evacuation of Barton House, the city's oldest tower block, in November 2023. More than 400 residents were forced to leave their homes at short notice after a survey found the 15-storey, 98-flat building was structurally unsafe. The report, published today, found the council showed a lack of leadership, failed to act on safety concerns dating back to 2019, and provided poor communication that left some residents learning about the evacuation from the media.
The decision to evacuate was deemed appropriate, with the report acknowledging the council put safety first. However, it said the social and welfare impacts were not understood. Parents described chaos: some refused to leave, worried about vulnerable children, while others left on a cold November night without coats. Those who stayed reported outbreaks of illness, including vomiting, diarrhoea, and chicken pox. Some children suffered dehydration and were taken to hospital.
The report makes 10 recommendations, including better staff training on building safety, improved major incident protocols, and stronger engagement with residents. As of today, only one of those recommendations is in progress. The council, now under a new administration, has created an executive director for housing and says it is investing more in housing services, dealing with a backlog of repairs, and putting residents at the heart of decision-making.
Former resident Fadumo Farah, who was forced to leave her home, criticised the report and described the ongoing trauma. She said the evacuation and subsequent stay in a hotel led to a norovirus outbreak, with families segregated from other guests. She expressed a lack of trust in the council, noting that similar patterns of complaints about issues like damp and mould persist. The council insists changes are being made, but for many tenants, confidence remains low.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | ITV |
|---|---|
| Concerns about the building were reported as far back as 2019, and the council failed to act quickly. | |
| More than 400 residents of Barton House were forced to leave their homes in November 2023 over safety fears. | |
| Only one of the report's 10 recommendations is currently in progress. | |
| Some children suffered from dehydration and were taken to hospital. | |
| Some residents learned about the evacuation from the media rather than from the council. | |
| The council did not have an executive leader for housing during key periods. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused heavily on the human impact of the evacuation, featuring a detailed personal account from former resident Fadumo Farah. It also highlighted the council's lack of leadership and the slow progress on implementing the report's recommendations, with a studio interview that noted only one of ten recommendations is currently in progress. The tone was critical of the council's past failures but balanced with the council's response about changes under the new administration.
- “The report says within Bristol city council there was a lack of leadership the authority even missing its executive leader for housing at key times”
- “We've done an awful lot to really improve how we listen to residents how we work with residents that's something that I think frankly has been missing from the council”
- “Well the report makes 10 recommendations including things like better training for staff in building safety extra briefings for tenants and better what it describes as scenario planning with tenants as well but as we speak of those 10 recommendations only one is currently in progress.”
Broadcast Timeline
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