A councillor has said she is very worried about tenants at a former office block in south Bristol.
Cllr Sarah Classick has urged Bristol City Council - which rents nearly 70 per cent of the properties at the controversial Imperial Apartments in Hengrove - to "take responsibility".
The councillor for Hengrove and Whitchurch Park said she agrees with the Bristol South MP and that the council should stop housing families with children at a former office block, with those already housed there being moved out as soon as possible.
READ MORE: Two deaths linked to Imperial Apartments as documents refer to 'serious incident report'
Cllr Classick said she has had several residents at the former Parkview office complex contact her to report problems with utilities supplier British Gas, receiving bills of up to £300 a month in one case.
She said: "We are quite concerned.
"The people who have contacted us are saying they are getting incredibly high bills - including £250 for 35 days on a one-bedroom flat.
"There was also a single mum in a two-bedroom flat who was billed £290 a month.
"This was just before Christmas."
Bristol City Council said that tenants have the choice to switch supplier and that Caridon give information on using the storage heaters in flats and support tenants to contact energy providers where bills are incorrect.
Minutes from weekly meetings of Bristol City Council with the developer Caridon show that in March 2021 it became apparent that British Gas were charging the wrong rates, with day rate being charged for day and night.
Cllr Classick claimed that those tenants have also had the debt from the previous tenant added to their account and they can't get it removed now.
Because of the high levels of debt, these people are not able to switch supplier, she added.
She has tried contacting Caridon directly herself, she continued, but has not had a response.
"These people are getting into massive amounts of debt they can not afford to pay back," she continued. "This is having an impact on mental health of already vulnerable people who have had breakdowns before.
"It is just making things worse for them - it must be incredibly stressful for them.
"I think the council needs to take responsibility and offer more support, they should be taking this up with Caridon.
"Bristol City Council needs to be advocating for their tenants, they need to be speaking with British Gas as this is clearly a widespread issue but they do not seem to care."
Do you live at Imperial Apartments? What do you think about living there? Our reporter Estel would love to hear from you. You can contact her directly on estel.farellroig@reachplc.com
Cllr Classick said she had also been approached by a tenant at Imperial Apartments who was experiencing racial abuse and anti-social behaviour and wanted to move, but was not able to.
Councillors have also spoken with a local GP who raised concerns about the complex, she said, adding the doctor was worried about people's health and wellbeing as well as children being housed there inappropriately.
She said that, in her opinion, Imperial Apartments is being managed incredibly poorly and that there is an issue with children being placed there.
The councillor said she agrees with the Bristol South MP and that the council should stop housing families with children at a former office block, with those already housed there being moved out as soon as possible.
Cllr Classick: "It feels they do not care - they have just dumped a whole lot of people there and not put any real support in place so obviously the issues are going to grow.
"It is going to get worse, not better.
"I am pretty worried for the people living there, they are living there without any support or help to resolve their issues.
"It just feels they are not taking it seriously."
In recent months, BristolLive has reported how several residents raised concerns about the former Parkview office complex in Hengrove - now known as Imperial Apartments.
A young mum claimed 'they are the worst' and a first-time dad said he feels so unsafe living there that he sleeps with a hammer and a screwdriver next to his bed, with other residents comparing the development to storage facilities and even a prison.
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Another young mum claimed last week that her daughter ended up in hospital because of mould at her flat.
Last month, the Bristol South MP asked the council to stop housing families with children at Imperial Apartments, adding that all the families it has already housed at the complex should be moved out as soon as possible.
Bristol City Council, which rents nearly 70 per cent of the properties at the site, has previously admitted that the use of a former council office block in south Bristol for housing is "not an ideal option" and city mayor Marvin Rees described it as 'the least worst option'.
However, the council has defended its decision, saying the site has provided housing for more than 200 people.
Caridon - the developer behind the controversial conversion - has previously said Bristol City Council is happy with them.
Police revealed in November that they had been called more than 200 times in just over a year to the site, with crimes recorded linked to Imperial Apartments including one rape, two incidents of possessions of weapons and one offence of trafficking drugs.
In summer 2020, the council revealed it was planning on housing people in the complex which was being redeveloped by Caridon, a company which was the subject of a Newsnight investigation as residents in one of their developments in London complained about overcrowding, the mix of people, violence and substance misuse.
At the time, housing chiefs at Bristol City Council admitted they had concerns about teaming up with a developer accused of creating “human warehousing” - but said they were "determined to make this development a success and thriving community in which to live".
Caridon turned it into homes without the need for planning consent under permitted development rights, which meant the usual regulations stipulating minimum sizes did not apply.
According to the floor plans submitted to Bristol City Council, studios at the development start at 18m2 - which is smaller than the average 29m2 shipping container - while the two bedroom flats at the site start at 38m2 and go up to 76m2.
The law was changed last year and it now requires new homes built under permitted development rights to be over 37m2, with two-bedrooms units being a minimum of 61m2.
What Bristol City Council says
Bristol City Council referred our enquiry to a member forum questions from January 2022.
In response to a question from Cllr Classick, the mayor responded: "Tenants do have the choice to switch supplier.
"Caridon give information on using the storage heaters in flats and support tenants to contact energy providers where bills are incorrect.
"We commission resettlement support for vulnerable residents. Visiting support workers provide assistance across a number of areas, including around utilities, money management and debt advice.
"Additionally, BCC’s in-house Welfare Rights and Money Advice Service provides expert advice around benefits, budgeting and debt.
"Council officers meet weekly with staff from Caridon and commissioned support services,providing a forum for issues relating to tenants to be discussed and resolved.
"Officers also meet monthly with senior managers from Caridon to discuss and address emerging issues."
Caridon and British Gas were contacted for comment.
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