The Bristol South MP has asked the council it stops housing families with children at a former office block.
Karin Smyth has also told the council that all the families it has already housed in the controversial Imperial Apartments complex should be moved out as soon as possible
In recent weeks, BristolLive has reported how several residents raised concerns about the former Parkview office complex in Hengrove - now known as Imperial Apartments.
READ MORE: Bristol mayor describes Imperial Apartments housing as 'least worst option'
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.
Karin Smyth MP said that a "significant number of constituents" who live at Imperial Apartments have been in contact with her to raise their concerns about a range of issues, including concerns about security, lack of maintenance, ambulance staff being unable to gain entry to flats and inadequately sized flats.
Bristol City Council has been approached for comment.
The MP said: “I was very concerned to hear reports from a number of constituents about a range of issues at Imperial Apartments in Hengrove.
"Poor living conditions and anti-social behaviour are making a significant number of residents feel unsafe living there.
“Whilst Imperial Apartments may be a suitable temporary place to live for some, it’s become clear that it is certainly not a long term housing solution for families with children.
"For those families who feel Imperial Apartments is unsuitable for them, an alternative should be provided by Homechoice Bristol.
”I have been in contact with Bristol City Council to raise these concerns and to request they consider ceasing all future Homechoice allocations to Imperial apartments for applicants with children.
"I hope to work with the Council further to resolve the issues raised by constituents.”
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The MP has requested the council cease all future Homechoice allocations to Imperial Apartments for applicants with children and that they consider reinstating to the Homechoice system, with the same banding as previously, any current resident with children who make such a request.
Last year, Bristol City Council agreed to take on a further 100 flats at the site, despite members admitting they remain “wary” of the situation and an officers’ warning that no child over five should live at the two-bed units created in the first phase.
Information released by the council after a Freedom of Information request stated that there are a total of 82 children under the age of five living at the development.
The council - which didn't provide details on children aged above five - said these figures include expectant mothers who will have given birth during their occupation at Imperial Apartments.
It said there are 39 children aged five or under living on 'phase one' flats and 43 living on 'phase two' properties.
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 information obtained via FOI also showed that the council has received nine complaints about the site since it opened in September 2020, which includes enquiries from councillors and MPs.
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.
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