Barton House

What happened

Bristol City Council decided to temporarily evacuate Barton House tower block on Tuesday 14 November 2023 due to concerns about the building's safety.

The evacuation was taken as a precaution to allow for further, more in depth surveys and a fuller analysis of the building's structure to take place.

The findings from these surveys gave us greater confidence in the building's safety measures. Some work also took place to make the block safe for the residents to return to.

We have completed the agreed work to make the building safe, in line with the indicative findings of our contractors, and are confident that the building is safe.

Residents returned to the building from 20 February 2024.

Independent review: findings and next steps

An independent review into the evacuation of Barton House in November 2023 has found that the decision to evacuate the building was appropriate and prioritised the safety of residents.

The review was carried out by Altair Consultancy and Advisory Services. It examined the events leading up to the evacuation of the Barton House and the council's response afterwards. It considered evidence from residents, council officers and partners.

Read a pdf summary of the report(168 KB) .

Translations of the summary are available in:

You can read the pdf full report(963 KB) .

An pdf accessible version of the report(1.15 MB)  is also available.

Key findings

The report highlights that the situation was unprecedented and required urgent action.

It found that:

  • new information about potential structural risks, including the possibility of building failure in the event of a fire, needed decisions to be made quickly
  • council leaders acted within their responsibilities and prioritised protecting people's lives above all else
  • support for residents was quickly made and adapted over time, although the scale and complexity of impacts could not be fully mitigated

The review also recognises the significant and lasting impact the evacuation had on residents and others affected.

Areas for improvement

The report identifies learning across governance, leadership and risk management, including:

  • the need for stronger preparedness for major incidents
  • improvements to resident data and communication systems
  • better planning for households with complex needs

The report concludes that while the response improved over time, the early stages did not fully anticipate the scale of support residents would require.

Recommendations

The review makes a series of recommendations to strengthen future responses, including:

  • clearer processes for responding to external safety advice
  • enhanced training on building safety and governance
  • improved coordination across council teams
  • more effective and accessible communication with residents

Work already underway

We have already started a programme of change in response to the review.

This includes:

  • changes to leadership and structure within housing services, including a new Executive Director for Housing
  • strengthened oversight, accountability and risk management

A new pdf Resident Voice Strategy(565 KB)  has also been developed.

This aims to:

  • improve communication with residents
  • increase opportunities for residents to be involved in decisions
  • introduce clearer “you said, we did” feedback
  • support more inclusive and transparent engagement

Improving housing services

Work is continuing to improve the quality and safety of council homes to meet the standards set by the Regulator of Social Housing.

Lessons from Barton House are already being applied to other programmes, particularly in high-rise buildings.

This includes:

  • better understanding of residents' needs in advance
  • clearer communication throughout projects
  • a stronger on-the-ground presence to provide support and reassurance
If you're a resident

Survey reports

These reports, together with assurance from Avon Fire and Rescue Service and our thorough assessment of the report findings, confirm that Barton House is safe.

You can access a number of documents to help you understand the information available to us at the points of when decisions were made.

These documents include:

Versions of the Bristol City Council's summary report of investigations, findings, and actions are also available in:

Recommendations made within these reports have been followed.

All essential work to install a central fire alarm system has been completed.

All additional fireproof padding of existing steel supports in the building has also been successfully completed to an approved specification.

Following a review of these reports and the work carried out, Avon Fire & Rescue service advised: "with these measures now in place, Avon Fire & Rescue Service support the decision to allow residents to reoccupy Barton House, as the risks previously identified have been addressed, in line with the recommendations of the Fire Engineers reports."

Response to the Medact, ACORN and Barton House residents report

The council takes its duty of care to residents very seriously, and we endeavour to continue to support the residents of Barton House. Our priority remains to ensure that the health and wellbeing of all residents living in council housing is supported and that their homes are safe and well maintained.

Following careful consideration and reflection on the conclusions and recommendations of the report produced by Medact and ACORN, working with residents of Barton House, a response has been delivered to all residents of the block and is available in the following languages:

Resident meetings

Help and support

If you need additional support and help, call 0117 922 2200.

If there is a problem with your home or a communal area in your block, report it on our website.

If you're thinking about making a rehousing application, or wish to discuss an existing application, the HomeChoice Bristol team can help.

Tell us about a problem with a form, page or account