Demolition among options for tower block's future

Residents turned to the tower block earlier this year after it was declared safe by the council

A block of council flats which was evacuated last year could eventually be knocked down and replaced, new reports show.

Bristol City Council bosses are considering several options for the future of Barton House, including both demolition and extensive refurbishment.

Hundreds of residents left their homes last November due to fears the block could collapse in the event of a fire, and most returned in February after the building was declared "safe".

The council has been approached for a comment.

A major incident was declared as hundreds of people had to leave their homes

More news is expected by the end of July on the future of a Bristol tower block.

A recent freedom of information (FOI) request revealed that two council reports have been written, exploring whether or not Barton House should be knocked down.

Several options - including both demolition and an extensive refurbishment - are being considered, but no decisions have been made yet.

Residents of the building were evacuated in November 2023 over safety concerns.

Many of them have since returned.

The council has declined to publish the two reports because the documents are exempt from FOI law, as they are “material in the course of completion”, the council claims.

Council officers are assessing the “long-term viability” of several tower blocks, many of which were built in the 1960s, and older buildings in poor condition are taking priority, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

'Trust needs rebuilding'

A spokesman for Acorn, the community union representing some Barton House residents, said they would meet soon with Green councillor Barry Parsons, the new chair of the council's housing policy committee.

“We hope this is the beginning of a new relationship between residents and the council," an Acorn spokesman said.

"Trust will need to be rebuilt."

Barton House was built in the 1950s and is Bristol’s oldest tower block.