News / Housing
Barton House evacuation was a ‘mass traumatising event’
A report looking into the impact of the Barton House evacuation and subsequent treatment of residents has been described as a “mass traumatising event.”
More than 60 residents and concerned locals attended a meeting at St Anne’s Board Mill Social Club on Wednesday to hear the results of the report.
The research which was done by Medact Bristol, a charity that brings together health workers to fight for health justice and community union ACORN Bristol, who represent more than one third of residents Barton Hill residents.
is needed now More than ever
With the aim in mind to understand and collate the experiences of residents surrounding the Barton House evacuation and its ongoing impacts.
The report investigates several key areas including the evacuation, the temporary accommodation assigned by Bristol City Council, the return of the its residents and the long-lasting impacts it has on the tenants mental health and wellbeing.
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Health and wellbeing is big focus of the report as Medact Bristol is made up of local group of volunteers who come from a wide variety of professional backgrounds including social workers, doctors, psychologists and occupational therapists, they were able to harness their professional expertise in determining the psychological and physical impacts on residents.
Many of the residents as recalled in the report “had medical issues exasperated as a result of living in unsafe and undignified housing were being ignored by decision-makers.” And sought to be rehoused elsewhere.
In the process of trying to receive appropriate medical attention residents faced challenges due to systemic issues such a lack of resources within the NHS. But in turn also “struggled to get letters of from doctors who have been unable to or practices that have required an upfront payment.”
In the report it says that those who were successful in getting proof to support their request for rehousing that “These people and their stories have so far been ignored.”
Authors Dr Nnazanin Rassa, Dr Amelia Cussans and Dr Francis Bennett
Residents were ordered to make an emergency evacuation, on November 14, 2023, after structural issues were discovered, much to the shock and confusion of those living there.
Reoccurring themes in interviews were over the lack of communication during this. One resident said: “I was in the flat, cooking… I received a call from my son’s school.
“They were watching the news about the evacuation and wanted to make sure that I was okay… that was the first I heard about the evacuation… when I went outside there was lots of confusion, panic… some people thought it was a fire.”
Another resident first received the announcement on a news platform, before hearing from the council.
Other issues highlighted included the perceived lack of consideration for safe and effective communication, with several residents who did not speak English having their children, neighbours or friends relay the information around the situation.
Barton House report “We Do Not Feel Safe Here”
When residents were moved into temporary accommodation, a lack of hygiene and overpopulation were significant issues that the report says contributed to people having to deal with norovirus, chickenpox and bedbugs.
One particular case highlighted in the report says how one mother’s children “had recurrent diarrhoea and vomiting, resulting in dehydration and three A&E attendances in one week.
“At one point, the dehydration became so severe that her 18-month-old daughter had to be admitted to hospital.
“Her family had been given letters of support for rehousing from their paediatrician, GP and health visitor, all of whom had concerns about the impact the life at the hotel was having on this child’s health.”
Some families were unable to return for up to eight months.
Barton House is now occupied again
Much conflict has arisen between the residents and Bristol City Council in the aftermath, including the hesitancy and fear of returning after residents were given the green light in February 2024.
Many echoed a similar sentiment that they did not believe the structure of the building was sound, the experts say that “the trust has been fundamentally eroded.”
At one point on November 17 2023, police had to intervene after residents fled back to the house after the circulation of a rumour that their belongings were being removed. This further drove a wedge between the residents and the council.
Homes for Health, including residents
The rest of the report goes into deeper detail of the remaining months up until February 2025.
In the meeting held on Wednesday, three of the authors, Dr Nazanin Rassa, Dr Amelia Cussans and Dr Francis Bennet disseminated their findings, giving the opportunity for residents to ask questions.
Following a short break, officers from Bristol City Council joined the meeting to discuss the report and also answer questions.
The officers included: Fiona Lester the interim director of Homes and Landlord Services, Craig Cook the head of repairs and maintenance, Green councillor Barry Parsons who is the chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, John Smith the executive director of Growth and Regeneration, Mark Kempt the interim head of Housing and Estates and Paul Sylvester who is the head of Housing Options.
Fierce questions and concern was raised by residents with calls to address inequality and acknowledgement of systemic racism within the housing system.
John Smith, said: “Moving someone out of their home overnight is obviously a deeply regretful and unfortunate thing to have to do.
“I’m very happy to apologise for that, it was made worse by the fact as we were running around ourselves trying to get plans to manage the situation, the fact it was happening was leaked.
“It was unforgivable that you didn’t hear it directly from us.
“Secondly, we currently have 1600 families in temporary accommodation across the city, over 50 per cent of our 26,000 homes were built before 1964. There have been decades of underinvestment in the stock. They are not in a sufficient condition. There is lots of work we need to do to make it safe.”
In response to the questions over systemic racism, Barry Parsons said: “I think we don’t know about the way in which historically people from the global majority have been housed in Bristol. I think we’ve got more work to do.
“One of the things we’re investigating at the moment as a council, is the Social Housing Anti-Racism Pledge. If we wanted to achieve this accreditation, we would be the first council outside of London to do so.”
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The evacuation ignited prolific public unrest and discourse over concerns over a lack of safe and appropriate housing in Bristol, echoing similar issues throughout the country.
Furthermore the back-and-forth having been well documented in the form of protests organised by residents and ACORN, disruption of council meetings and opinion pieces.
Further resentment and distrust has grown after residents and ACORN believed they had leveraged support from opposition councillors in an open letter ahead of local elections addressed to the majority Labour council with their demands.
But as time as gone and the political makeup of the council has changed, as highlighted in ACORN’s introduction “Some of the signatories have become leaders of the council and chairs of policy committees, and in one case a local MP. Those of us that voted for these councillors are now asking whether they have changed since they got elected.”
Now this report that details the impact the whole ordeal had on the residents they hope will help progress their demands and create a richer understanding of their individual and collective experience.
Their demands include:
- Band one urgent prioritisation for the rehousing of Barton House residents who do not feel safe in the block
- All residents must be compensated for the distress and costs incurred from the evacuation
- An independent investigation into what has happened at Barton House specifically and more widely the safety of council blocks across the city.
Read the full report here.
All photos: Hannah Massoudi
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