Fire patrols stood down in two Bristol tower blocks

Waking watches are no longer needed at Eccleston House and Phoenix House

A round-the-clock "waking watch" by fire marshals at two Bristol tower blocks has been stood down after flammable cladding was made safe.

Work at Eccleston House and Phoenix House in Barton Hill has been completed.

Gilton House in Brislington is next on Bristol City Council's list for cladding works.

The 77 wardens patrolling 37 towers with flammable cladding is costing Bristol City Council £200,000 a week.

Elsewhere, council officers are still deciding how best to install sprinkler systems in the blocks because some residents were opposed to the plans.

At a council meeting on Tuesday, it emerged that so far only Butler House in St George has a sprinkler system, despite a major investment programme in sprinklers announced four years ago, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Sprinklers were installed at Butler House after tenants objected in the original block, Castlegate House in Brislington, that were due to pilot the project.

'Split approach'

Labour mayor Marvin Rees said residents were worried about the disruption, did not like the aesthetics, and said they already felt safe in their own homes because two fires had been successfully contained within individual flats.

But the mayor said new powers were available to the council under the Building Safety Act, including powers of entry to support safety activity, so "any opposition to installations may be overcome considerately with residents, but legally if required".

He added: "This would need to form part of a wider policy and consultation process with residents that has not yet happened."

Councillor Tom Renhard, Labour cabinet member for housing delivery and homes, said the cabinet was considering whether to take a "split approach" by simply installing sprinklers in some blocks and holding a ballot of tenants in others to decide whether to have them.

Councillor Tom Renhard said the sprinkler programme would be fully funded

Mr Renhard said: "Irrespective of what approach we take, we are not going to make any attempt to try to get out of the sprinkler programme and are funding it fully."

He also revealed that in spite of the sprinkler system, waking watches were still required for Butler House.

Waking watches may only be removed on fire service advice if either the cladding is made safe or communal fire alarms are installed, Mr Renhard said.

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