Barton House: Cost of tower block repairs rises to £5.3m

The cost of the emergency evacuation of Barton House has risen to £5.3m

The cost of the emergency evacuation of a city tower block has risen to £5.3m, it has been revealed.

More than 250 people living at Barton House in Bristol were evacuated from the building on 14 November because of safety concerns over the concrete.

Bristol City Council has been carrying out repairs and will support residents to move back in from 23 February.

The additional spending is to cover the cost of residents staying at a hotel while away from their homes.

High Rise Housing: Forced to Leave

If you want to find out more about the Bristol tower block residents evacuated from their homes due to safety concerns watch 'High Rise Housing: Forced to Leave' now on BBC iPlayer (UK only).

The authority declared a major incident in November after surveys suggested the building could collapse if there was a fire or explosion.

This led to residents being forced to leave the building and needing to find somewhere to stay at short notice.

A subsequent report showed safety issues were only present in some parts of the building and "essential work" had to be completed before residents could return.

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The council said concrete had not been attached properly when the tower was built in 1958, and that the block was not constructed according to design plans.

A small number of tenants have remained living in Barton House, while the rest have been staying in a Holiday Inn or with friends or family.

Residents of the tower block were evacuated from the building in November

The Holiday Inn was block-booked until the end of January, with the council paying for accommodation, meals, car parking and laundry, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

That contract has now been extended and funding for the required work to Barton House approved following a decision by the executive director of growth and regeneration to spend an extra £2.6m on top of the £2.7m previously agreed in November.

The council said the repair works are scheduled to be completed by 23 February which would "enable residents to return safely to Barton House".

"The existing contract with the Holiday Inn runs until the end of January and therefore needs to be extended," it added.