Top floor of Bristol apartment block to be demolished over fire safety issues
Residents at The Milliners have been told their block wasn't built to the correct standard
Last updated 10th Nov 2023
Residents living in a block of flats in Bristol have been told the entire top floor needs to be demolished, because there are so many fire safety issues.
People living at The Milliners on the Harbourside have received a letter saying the building was not created in line with the required regulations.
For years they' have been dealing with the threat of huge bills to fix issues first highlighted by the cladding scandal and the anxiety caused, both by knowing their property is legally unsafe whilst also being unable to move out.
The letter finally confirms exactly what work needs to be done, but continues to raise questions about who will pay.
Steph Pike, who lives in the building, shared part of the letter on social media.
"When the building was developed, elements of the timber frame and construction were not up to the required standards for fire resistance," it reads.
"This means the SIPS timber frame and floor construction is non-compliant with Part B of the Building Regulations in terms of the requisite fire resistance required for buildings over 18m(etres) and will require additional remedial works.
"In laypersons terms, this part of the building was not built to the required building regulations."
Steph, who is part of the Bristol Cladding Action Group, has previously called for new laws to ensure leaseholders like herself don't have to pay for such work.
"My personal bill is likely to be in the region of £70,000 and that just relates to the remediation of the building," she told Greatest Hits Radio in 2022.
"On top of that there are Waking Watch costs, costs for the fire alarm we've had, costs for the increased insurance premiums we're having to pay, so I could actually be looking at something in the region of £100,000...
"Our freeholder has said that if any of the costs are not recoverable from either the Building Safety Fund or other third parties then...it'll be passed to us through the service charge."
Earlier this week through the King's Speech the government announced it will look to bring forward new laws in the next parliamentary session giving leaseholders better protection, but no such law has yet come into force.
The developer of The Milliners - Edenlaw Limited - has since been dissolved.
However, we have contacted the contractors on the build - Head Office 3 - and the current freeholder - Grey GR (part of the RailPen group) for statements.
In response a spokesperson for Grey GR said residents currently living on the top floor of the block will have to move out while the work is done.
“Grey GR has conducted increasingly intrusive surveys and investigations to understand the extent of the safety issues at The Milliners building," they said.
"The results have revealed significant issues with the construction of the building at point of original development, with the top floor of the property not built to the required building regulation standards.
“As a result, extensive work is required to remediate the top floor, as well as additional work to replace the external cladding between floors 1 and 5.
"We have appointed a lead contractor to finalise design and implementation plans, and are pleased to be moving into the remediation phase of the project, with expected commencement early next year, pending consent to the relevant planning approvals.
“Unfortunately this means that top floor residents will need to leave their home for an extended period while the works are carried out.
"Grey will work with leaseholders to source appropriate alternative accommodation and ensure they are well supported, with accommodation costs covered by Grey.
“We understand that this will cause significant disruption to the residents within the building.
"The long-term safety of residents in their homes is our priority, and the works are necessary to improving the safety of the building.
"We are communicating regularly with leaseholders to update them on progress and planned works, and leaseholders have been invited to a meeting with Grey GR to ask further questions.”