Everyone knows these flats are unsuitable. These were the strong words from an MP after a council review found that a former office block is "suitable for many families with children".
Bristol City Council is to restart housing families with children at the controversial Imperial Apartments after its review published this afternoon (June 10) reached that conclusion. Back in mid-February, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees announced the council was to pause housing families with children there while a review was carried out as he admitted there are "some challenges" at the site.
This came after BristolLive reported on many concerns from residents at the former Parkview office complex in Hengrove and a request from the Bristol South MP to stop housing families with children at the development, with the Lib Dems then joining the call and one councillor urging the council "to take responsibility".
Read more: Council to restart housing families with kids at Imperial Apartments
Karin Smyth MP is so worried about living at Imperial Apartments that she then raised the issue in Parliament and said the site was an example of "deeply worrying substandard accommodation". In light of today's report, the MP said: "The Imperial Apartments Review is desperately needed. I’ve been working with residents and relatives of those living in the apartments for some time and the standards being upheld are not good enough.
“When I wrote to the Council in January I had two demands. Firstly, that properties at Imperial Apartments not be advertised through the HomeChoice Bristol Portal. This is no longer the case.
"Secondly, that consideration be given to reinstating previous HomeChoice applications, at the same banding, for families with children living at Imperial Apartments. This is a vital measure that must be taken.
“At the very least I believe that all the cases of families with children I have referred should be reviewed on an individual basis. My constituents living in these flats, that everyone knows are unsuitable, must have a chance of finding somewhere more permanent through the HomeChoice system.”
Sarah Classick - councillor for Hengrove and Whitchurch Park - said: “It seems that concerns around the suitability of Imperial Apartments have been there since the very beginning but were ignored until many residents reached a breaking point, it has taken a lot of negative press attention for BCC to finally act on the issues being raised and even then we do not feel that these recommendations go far enough in improving the lives of those living at Imperial Apartments.”
There are 465 units of private rented accommodation at Imperial Apartment and Bristol City Council rent out 316 of them, more than two-thirds of the total. With 108 children there in total now, nearly third (101 households) have children living in them.
The review - which is signed by the council's head of housing options Paul Sylvester - concludes: "Although Imperial Apartments may not be our preferred option, this review finds that, in line with legislation considering ‘suitability’, it is suitable for many families with children.
"Nevertheless, there are opportunities to improve the experience of families at Imperial Apartments by implementing the recommendations in this review, and these will be followed up by officers in communication with the Cabinet Member for Housing."
The review - which makes a total of 18 recommendations - assessed suitability on multiple factors including the physical condition of accommodation, affordability, overcrowding and risk of violence from any person. A total of 322 households have moved into Imperial Apartments through the referral agreements, according to the report, including 198 from homelessness prevention teams.
