A mum has claimed her daughter ended up in hospital because of mould at her flat in a former office block.
Last week, the Bristol South MP asked the council to stop housing families with children at the controversial Imperial Apartments, adding that all the families it has already housed at the complex should be moved out as soon as possible.
In recent months, 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.
Another young mum has now been in touch with BristolLive to raise concerns about living conditions at the site.
The 23-year-old - who moved into a two-bedroom flat six months ago - claimed her one-year-old daughter ended up in hospital because of mould in the bedroom.
Caridon has said its maintenance team attended the property the same day the issue was brought to their attention and that it would be more than happy to review and implement further provisions.
The developer described this as an isolated case and that it provides all tenants with a handbook advising how to manage condensation.
The mum said: "They knew it wasn't covid as they had done the tests and they asked me if I had any mould in the flat.
"When I got home, I thought I had better make sure there is no mould and that is when I found the mould behind the wardrobe.
"This was at the end of October.
"At the time, she was sleeping in my bed but since the mould I try not to let her, but she is 12-months-old.
"All that Caridon said is to keep the window open."
The young woman - who is living in the property with her partner, as well as their child - said that they didn't notice the mould straight away.
Back in September, her daughter started to feel unwell, the mum said, and had cold-like symptoms including a cough.
It would not go away and in fact it got worse, she continued, having a wheezy chest and struggling to breathe in the end, so they took her to the children's hospital where she was kept overnight.
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The mum herself was ill and she had a chest infection just before her daughter was taken into hospital.
They also had to throw away the wardrobe as it was covered in mould, she claimed.
She said her daughter is doing really well now, adding she has bought a dehumidifier and is constantly cleaning and drying the windows.
"I just do not like living here," she continued. "Me and my partner work so we pay most of the rent, we spend so much money and the flat is so tiny.
"My daughter isn't walking just yet, but there is no space for her to run around.
"You can not have too many toys out because it looks too crammed.
"It does not feel like a flat you would call home - I would really like to move.
"I feel desperate to move out and we are saving money to do so - we would like to rent a private place and get out of here quickly.
"It is a horrible place."
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 mum described the noise levels as ridiculous and claimed that at weekends there is constant partying.
Since the summer, her daughter has been staying with her partner's parents at weekends so she can get some sleep, she continued.
"We would be lucky if we get two hours of sleep on the weekends," she added. "A lot more people moved in over the summer.
"I do not feel safe, but you should be able to go home and feel safe.
"You worry someone is going to break into the flat - you always have to make sure the door is locked."
The mum said that drunk people regularly try to get into the flat as they are lost and that, once she leaves the flat, she feels she needs to be careful and watch her back.
On one occasion, two drunk men were trying to get into her flat, she said, and she was so scared she locked herself and her daughter in the bathroom with a knife.
Her partner had to come from work as she was so scared, she continued, and she has been having problems with anxiety since then.
The mum said she has previously had problems with her neighbours as they play loud music and smoke cannabis.
However, she said she no longer bothers complaining as it made no difference.
She also claimed that in the Summer she was not able to open the window as there were people smoking cannabis outside.
"There are so many families with kids here, I have noticed there is a lot of young mums," she said. "The soft play and the playground are the only good things about this place - that is nice."
Comparing Imperial Apartments to a homeless shelter, the mum said she feels they were "dumped" at the complex.
She said she feels she was forced to move there as she was given the options to move to the complex or go to a mother and baby unit, where her partner could not have been with them.
The mum said she has tried complaining to the council about this, but that all she was told is to keep bidding for properties.
However, as she is on band 4, she said it would be very hard for her to get anywhere - which is why she thinks they will have to end up turning to the private sector.
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 didn't provide details on children aged above five.
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.
Bristol City Council was contacted for comment.
What Caridon says
A spokesperson for Caridon said: "The issue was brought to our attention in November and our maintenance team attended the same day to resolve the issue.
"We were not made aware that the problem had reoccurred, but if the measures put in place have not fixed the issue, our on-site maintenance team will be more than happy to review and implement further provisions to provide a more suitable long-term solution.
"This is an isolated case and we provide all tenants with a handbook advising how to manage condensation which can occur in any property, particularly in the winter months.
"Imperial Apartments has on-site office staff, who are always available to deal with any tenant concerns or queries, and security for any out of hours issues, as well as communal cleaners.
"These are services which are provided by Caridon to ensure the safety and well-being of tenants and would not be available at many other residential apartment blocks."
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