News / Barton House
Barton House review finds evacuation justified but ‘stretched’ council left on back foot
An independent review into the months-long evacuation of Barton House has found the decision to remove residents was “appropriate and justified” but that the “stretched” Bristol City Council did not have a fully-fledged plan.
More than 250 residents of the council housing block in Barton Hill were given an immediate order to evacuate on November 14 2023 after a survey discovered that “in the event of a fire, explosion or large impact, there is a risk to the structure of the block”.
It was five months before they were able to return, having been asked to stay with friends and family, given emergency shelter and later housed in hotel rooms with no clear idea of when they could come home.
Now a long-fought-for review, paid for by council but carried out by an independent company, has decided the evacuation decision was justified and that “the council put the safety of residents first in response to escalating risk, identified by independent advisors”.
However, it found the council did not fully understand the social and welfare impact on residents and that the situation caused “severe disruption and long-lasting harm, especially to
the mental health of residents”.
Furthermore, the council did not have a fully-fledged plan for the evacuation. This meant that while it mobilised quickly and had some structures in place to look after residents it was left on the back foot, responding to events rather than having a full strategy to deal with them.
A sustained effort by residents kept the issue of the evacuation on the table – photo: Martin Booth
The evacuation was also hampered by poor communication with residents, meaning some found out about it through social media or the press leading to “a period of chaos”, with media leaks making the situation worse.
Later, support improved but the council “did not initially realise the scale and complexity of need”.
The review also found potential structural and fire risk concerns had been identified between 2019 and 2022 but had not been shared widely or acted upon.
Heeding these could have meant residents were removed from the unsafe building earlier or an immediate evacuation may not have been needed.
The council has since increased leadership capacity and decided to create a bespoke division for housing strategy and assurance.
The report includes a number of recommendations including working with residents on the future of Barton House and improving communication frameworks for major incidents.
Health justice organisation Medact Bristol published an earlier report on the evacuation, saying residents had “faced horrendous impacts on their mental and physical health after an emergency evacuation, months in unfit temporary housing and years of ongoing issues.”
Fadumo Farah said council officers must be held to account as the people who wield real power – photo: Leah Hoyle
Fadumo Farah, who was among the evacuees, said: “People have to be held accountable. People have to be named. Some sort of training has to come out of this.
“Housing support officers need to understand that their decisions will impact younger people, elders and disabled people.”
Farah was one of the fiercest campaigners for accountability after the evacuation, demanding that the council’s role in the situation be examined.
“I dropped everything I was doing and took time away from my family,” she said. “My flat was the headquarters for the (Medact) report.”
Farah said it was the right choice to order an evacuation once the structure risk had been discovered, but that the problem should not have gone undetected so long and temporary housing during the evacuation period should have been better managed.
Officers should have taken more preventative action on “houses full of damp or mould” and not allowed Barton House to get to a state where immediate relocation was required, she said.
“One of the things I’ve realised through my campaigning is that politicians have very little power and (council officers) are the ones we need to keep account of.”
Councillor Barry Parsons said the evacuation caused “distress and uncertainty” but “involved were determined to protect residents” – photo: Martin Booth
Councillor Barry Parsons, chair of the homes and housing delivery committee, said: “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to this review, particularly the residents of Barton House who shared their experiences so openly and honestly.
“Reliving such a difficult period will not have been easy, and their willingness to speak candidly was essential in helping us understand both the strengths of the response and where things could have been better, and the lasting impact this had.
“This report reflects the reality of a situation. Although concerns about the structure of the building were raised in 2022, they were not escalated or acted on quickly enough.
“However, when new information suggesting a fire could result in the building collapsing was shared, those involved were determined to protect residents and made the best decisions possible in exceptionally challenging and fast-changing circumstances.
“The review rightly recognises the impact the evacuation and the months that followed had on residents, and we acknowledge the distress and uncertainty many people experienced.
“We accept the report’s findings and recommendations in full. The report provides clear recommendations which we will learn from.
“The changes already being made across our housing services, alongside our new Resident Voice Strategy and strengthened governance arrangements, demonstrate our commitment to doing that.
“Our focus is on continuing to rebuild trust, listening to residents and making sure the lessons from Barton House contribute to meaningful and lasting improvements for all residents across Bristol.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
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