We are ending our live coverage of the Barton House briefing now.

We will continue to cover the story over the coming days.

You can read a round-up of the news from today's council briefing here.

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said the evacuation will have an "impact" on housing revenue.

A local authority's housing revenue is the expenditure and income it needs for its own housing stock.

Mr Rees said: "Whenever we have to spend in one area it has consequences in another.

"Quite rightly, because we have people’s lives here who have been upended."

Mr Rees continued: "It's not going to be a quick return again, this is about making the building safe.

"The reason we made this decision [to evacuate] is because we had a report that suggested so."

He added: "No plan survives contact with the real world. We’ve never faced this before.

"We're often dealing with challenges in light of the 14 years of austerity we’ve been through.

"You’ve got people’s lives who have been upended…We cannot tell them they can go home for Christmas - that’s not easy.

"I cannot make a decision in an abstract, as nice as it would be to tell people good news….that is the place I have to be.

"To step outside of that, to make people’s lives easier, that would be criminally negligible."

Speaking to the BBC after the briefing with residents, Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said: "[After a full report] we’ll have a full scope of the work that needs to be done in there.

"It appears the building can be made safe.

"To have reports like that and roll the dice, and leave people in there would not be the right thing to do. The residents' safety is important.

"We cant roll the dice and take chances with people’s lives.

"We'll make a decision in line with the evidence available.

"The full details of the report will be coming to us in the coming days."

The full extent of the work required is yet to be determined and council officers are waiting for a final report from contractors.

That report will make recommendations about the measures that need putting in place to secure the high level of building safety needed to enable residents’ safe return.

In the meantime, a new communal fire system will be needed which is estimated to take two months and the Waking Watch will be extended.

The contractors’ reports will be considered alongside expert advice from Avon Fire and Rescue Service.

The final report from this survey, along with previous reports, will be shared with residents and then published on the council's website.

Father-of-two Shaban Ali, 36, is one of many Barton House residents currently staying at the Holiday Inn hotel.

He told the BBC he wants an "independent investigation as soon as possible" and that he "doesn't trust" the process.

Speaking outside Bristol City Council's headquarters after the briefing, he said: "I'm actually more confused than when I went in. There was a lot of messing around with the dates, when they knew, when they found out etc."

He added: "I'm staying at the Holiday Inn. We were all squished into one room but luckily we got recently changed into a double room.

"We do have to wait for another report to come out on 8 January. I believe the fire service has to sign off on it. It's more limbo basically.

"I do want some guarantees because I know a lot of parents do not want to go back because of trauma, because of their kids.

"[there have been] bad experiences generally with the upkeep of the building for a very long time and overcrowding - there's many, many issues. I feel a lot of people are not going to be happy to go back.

"The council has to make some provisions for those people as well, and they also need to show that people are not going to be made involuntary homeless.

"I really don't trust it, that's the issue.

"A lot of people in that building are in the exact same situation where they were confused and they come out even more bamboozled than when they went in."

Image source, PA Media

The issues suggested by earlier surveys are not present throughout the whole of the Barton House building as was feared, the city council told residents at their meeting today.

According to the latest surveys, which went deeper and further across the building than previous investigations, it was indicated that safety measures which the building was designed with do appear to exist.

The statement added that those safety measures are in the locations that surveyors would expect to see them.

This means that residents will be able to move back into the building eventually - but "some essential work" will be required to make the tower block safe.

Adrian Siera, 48, stayed in his flat after the evacuation in November and is one of the 12 people who still lives there now.

He told the BBC: "At least now I can feel a bit more right. They're going to do work on the flat, they're going to make it safe.

"It is what it is, in my eyes. I'm just getting on with it due to my circumstances."

He added: "I stayed in the flat on principle. I'll be staying there through the Christmas period, obviously the New Year as well.

"It's a bit of relief to be honest with you. It could have been done better.

"I wish it never happens again with people in the same situation."

Image source, BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL

Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, said: “I want to thank Barton House tenants for their patience and resilience. We recognise the extremely difficult month that they have had and the toll taken on individuals and families.

"Throughout this period, we’ve taken many steps to try and ease the challenges they face and I remain ever grateful to them for allowing us the time and space needed to support them and get on with our vital work at Barton House.

“Unfortunately, we are not in a position to confirm a return date yet, but sadly we know it will not be safe for residents to return before Christmas and the New Year. Our top priority is to ensure residents’ safety.

“With the new surveys taking the time to go deeper and further into the block than previous surveys, a picture is beginning to emerge that suggests the safety measures the block was designed with are in place.

"This was previously in serious doubt. While this gives us hope that the building’s structure is well protected, there is still work to do to make sure the building is safe for people to live in.

“We ask residents to continue to stay away from Barton House while we undertake these essential works and the mandatory legionella testing that must be carried out.”

Image source, PA Media

The evacuation of the unsafe tower block could have cost Bristol City Council at least £3.5m.

More than 300 tenants had to leave Barton House on 14 November, and the costs for the authority were expected to significantly increase if surveys had shown the building was too unsafe for residents to return.

While a few tenants are still living in Barton House, most have been staying elsewhere.

Image source, Bristol City Council

Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said the city council is "not in a position" to confirm a return date.

Mr Rees added that residents should continue to "stay away" from Barton House while the authority undertakes "essential works" and mandatory legionella testing must also be carried out.

Image source, PA Media

According to a Bristol City Council statement, a new communal fire alarm system will be required which is estimated to take two months.

During that period the so called 'Waking Watch' - a team of fire marshals who have patrolled the building since May 2022 - will be extended.

During a meeting to residents, Mayor of Bristol Marvin Rees said the full extent of the work is yet to be determined and council officers are waiting for a final report from contractors.

That report, Mr Rees said, will make recommendations about the measures needed to be put in place to secure the "high level" of building safety.

Image source, PA Media

Barton House is "unsafe" for residents to return to before Christmas and the New Year.

But Bristol City Council confirmed residents will be able to move back into the building once works finish.

The authority said the city's oldest tower block needs "some essential work" to make it safe for residents to return to.

In a statement, the city council said the issues suggested by earlier surveys are "not present throughout the whole building".

They added that the full extent of the work required is yet to be determined.

Bristol City Council has said Barton House was built in a different way to other tower blocks in the city, so it is not expecting the issue to affect them.

It is worth noting Barton House is the oldest tower block under the council's control too and any modern buildings have very different design and safety regulations.

Residents have started to arrive at City Hall on College Green, in Bristol, ahead of the announcement.

They're set to be told the future of the 1950s tower block, which was deemed "unsafe" last month.

Sheila Barrett, who is celebrating her 85th birthday today, has lived in Barton House for 50 years.

Speaking outside City Hall ahead of the briefing, the 13th floor resident told the BBC: "I've been in my flat for 50 years and I really didn't want to move from there, so it's been quite upsetting in case we've got to move.

"When you've been somewhere for a long time and feel safe there, you really don't want to go anywhere else.

"I'm hoping today that the block is going to stay up and we're able to stay there. But of course it wasn't safe then we won't stay there but I feel it is."

Adam Crowther
Senior Content Producer and Presenter, BBC Radio Bristol

I've been speaking this morning to a handful of residents who have been placed into temporary accommodation at the Holiday Inn in the city centre.

They described the mood as “tense” ahead of the meeting with Bristol City Council today.

One resident, 60-year-old John Wisbey, told me that he thought the outlook for Christmas was “bleak” and said “It’s bad enough living in this place at the best of times… This’ll probably be the worst Christmas ever.”

Another resident, Sophie, broke down in tears as she told me that living in temporary accommodation was impacting her mental health.

She said she doesn’t know what the future holds for her or where she’ll end up for Christmas or beyond.

They, along with other Barton House residents, will find out what’s next for them, their home and their future in a meeting at 3pm.

The Barton House Tenants Association say the council survey that unearthed the flaws in the building has not deterred people from wanting to return to the tower block which "binds" their community together.

In a letter presented to a Bristol City Council meeting last week, the group pleaded for the tower block to be saved.

It said: "It is not perfect, but it is our home.

"We ask that if at all possible our community within the block is cherished and preserved and not consigned to the dustbin of local history."

Marvin Rees said in the meeting the council was still waiting to receive and analyse an updated report into the structural integrity of the building, and that residents would be informed first of what's next.

Residents are expected to arrive at City Hall on College Green in the centre of Bristol from 14:30, and the briefing on the future of Barton House is expected to start at 15:00.

Bristol City Council has given details of where households from Barton House are currently staying:

Residents from 58 flats - at the Holiday Inn

17 flats - currently still in Barton House

11 flats - staying with family or friends

Seven flats - staying in serviced apartments

Five flats - empty