Bristol Barton House resident locks herself in hotel
She's refusing to go back to the council block, despite it having been declared safe
A Bristol woman who says she is scared to return to her council flat in Barton House over safety fears, has locked herself inside a hotel room to avoid going back.
The woman, who wants to remain anonymous, is one of many who were suddenly told to leave the high rise last year when officials suspected structural issues could cause it to collapse if there was a fire.
In February officials declared the building safe to go back to, but the woman, who has been put up in a hotel ever since, says the trauma the saga has caused her means she should be rehoused.
She has spoken to Hits Radio from her hotel room at the Travelodge in Emersons Green, claiming she has a note from her doctor saying she is experiencing symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and so should not be forced back to Barton House.
She said: "They (the GP) make it very clear that I shouldn't be going to back to Barton House, that my children shouldn't be going back to Barton house.
"Obviously in terms of a diagnosis, that will take some time, a referral alone can take months, but the doctor did try her best to try and support me.
"She wrote me three separate letters just in the last two months, of support stating why I shouldn't be forced to go back to Barton House, but none of that has been taken into consideration."
The Barton House story
The council tower block in Barton Hill is one of the oldest in Bristol, having been built in the 1950s. With dozens of flats, its thought up to 400 people live inside.
On 14 November 2023 all residents were told they must leave immediately, after a survey on three flats inside suggested there were serious structural defects that could cause the whole building to collapse in the event of an explosion, fire or similar incident.
In darkness that evening families, some with young children left with their lives in suitcases, to either stay with friends or, as was the case for many, to be put up in hotels at the council's expense.
Following more extensive survey work, in January Bristol City Council declared the building was structurally safe after all, announcing that residents would be able to move back following work to install a communal fire alarm and strengthen the walls in certain areas.
However, since the evacuation in November many residents have complained about how the council has handled the situation, claiming poor communication and a lack of empathy from leaders.
So sudden was the initial evacuation that a not insignificant number are not convinced that the building is now safe.
WATCH: Our report from the day Barton House residents were told the building is safe
The resident, the hotel and the tower block
The woman currently at the Travelodge was initially put up at a different hotel in Bristol, but was moved on 1st March after Barton House was declared safe, whilst council officials examined whether she could be eligible for homelessness support.
On 8th March her application for support was rejected and then again rejected on appeal on 25th March.
At that point Hits Radio understands she was given a deadline to leave by 2nd April, which she ignored, before again being asked to leave by 4th April, the day before Good Friday.
"I basically locked myself in the room," she said.
"I was like, 'I'm not leaving, I'm not going anywhere.'"
Her three young children are currently staying with a friend and are unaware of the situation their mum is now in.
"It's been really challenging," she said.
"I had to tell them that I'm away for work, which is ridiculous.
"I shouldn't have to do that to my children, but if I tell them that mummy has locked herself in a hotel room, how do you think they're going to feel?
"Especially my daughter, it's not good for their mental health. It's already been too much for them...they haven't felt settled since November."
Most other Barton House residents have now moved back into the block, but Fadumo who is both a resident and a representative of the housing union ACORN, says she is not happy to have done so.
She said:" I went back because I had no choice. I either lock myself in the hotel or go back to my normal life, and at the moment I went back to Barton House even though I am not happy..."
The council's view
In a statement sent to us a spokesperson for Bristol City Council did not address the woman's situation directly, but said the city is facing a housing crisis, with more than 21,000 households on the waiting list for a council home.
"Currently over 1,000 of these households are classified as having the very highest level of need for a new home (Band 1), and over 1,500 are living in temporary accommodation," they said.
"“We operate a fair process that considers all relevant information associated with a person’s circumstances before making a decision on whether an allocation of housing can be made.
"Where a household is deemed to be homeless or facing homelessness, we work to find them accommodation. Where a household is not deemed to be homeless or facing homelessness, they are responsible for meeting their own housing needs.
"This approach is in line with national statutory guidance.”
A spokesperson for Travelodge says the situation is "complicated".
"We recognise how difficult it is for people who desperately need a home as well as for the Council seeking to provide them with accommodation," they said.
"This guest's booking has now been extended by Bristol City Council and we understand that there is also suitable long term accommodation available to meet this guest and her family’s needs. Any decisions about longer-term accommodation will be made between the Council and the guest, not by Travelodge.
"We hold regular meetings with the council and make it clear bookings with us are only suitable for short-term placements because it is not a substitute for a home."