Bristol City Council has been urged "to get a grip" on living conditions at a former office block in South Bristol.
The Lib Dems have urged this after councillors have been contacted by several residents at Imperial Apartments over recent weeks.
Last week, Cllr Sarah Classick said Bristol City Council - which rents nearly 70 per cent of the properties at the controversial Imperial Apartments in Hengrove - needs to "take responsibility".
READ MORE: Two deaths linked to Imperial Apartments as documents refer to 'serious incident report'
The councillor for Hengrove and Whitchurch Park also 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.
The Lib Dems have now said concerns raised by residents at the former Parkview office complex include anti-social behaviour, maintenance issues, rats, and heating costs.
Cllr Classick said: “We are extremely concerned about the way residents living there are being treated.
"The stories being reported in the press and what we are hearing from residents make it feel like no-one really cares about those living in the apartment complex."
She said several residents have reported problems with utilities supplier British Gas, receiving bills of up to £300 a month in one case.
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.
The statement said ward councillors have been dealing with a number of issues on site, and have met with residents.
It said they have asked council officers to include them in meetings with Caridon to ensure that residents' concerns are being properly heard and action is taken.
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
The councillors also said they hope Bristol City Council and Caridon will take more responsibility for the management of the site and seek to improve the welfare of the people living there.
Cllr Tim Kent said: “We are concerned about how suitable the site is for families with children to be placed there and support calls for this policy to be reviewed.”
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 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.
The latest figures show the number of police call-outs has almost doubled in the past couple of months.
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."
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