Barton House residents told 'go back or be homeless'

Residents, forced to leave a tower block due to safety fears, say they are unhappy about moving back in.

More than 250 adults and children had to leave Barton House in November after concerns about its safety in the event of a fire or explosion.

Since then detailed survey reports have shown the building is safe after all and people can return to the block.

Resident Wilfred Stuart, said: "I don't think [the council] can do anything to make me feel safe in that building."

Bristol's oldest tower block, was evacuated after Bristol City Council decided the risk to residents was unacceptable.

But the evacuation was chaotic, as the council tried to find places for families to spend the night.

Mr Stuart, who has lived in Barton House since 2008, said he spent the first night sleeping in his car.

"It was chaos after they came knocking on the door saying 'the building is coming down - we should leave'," he said.

"The next day, they sorted out the hotel but it's been hell there."

Now after three months, all residents currently staying at the Holiday Inn have been told they will need to leave by 17:00 GMT on 23 February.

"I still don't trust the council," said Mr Stuart.

"If you're telling someone a building is not safe and then all of a sudden safe... something is not right."

He said the council had told tenants if they did not go back, the contract with the hotel would be withdrawn and they would "be homeless".

"We have been asking for an independent review on what they [the council] have done and we have yet to see that," he said.

"There's no option - go back to Barton House or be homeless."

But Jon Wisbey, from the tenants association, said he was "relieved" to be returning home.

"It will be nice to sit down on my own sofa, eat my own food, in front of my own TV," he said.

"Living at the hotel has been hell, it's been like being in a prison to be honest with you."

He said some residents were "apprehensive" about going back but not "that many" had refused to return.

"There's a break down in trust between the council and a lot of the tenants, over the way the evacuation was done and basically some of them don't believe the council when they say the building is safe to return to," he said.

"There are some [tenants] that are going back under duress saying 'I don't want to be homeless'. I think it's a minority that are refusing to go back."

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