Mayor seeks to reassure Bristol’s tower block tenants

Mayor Marvin Rees stressed that the safety of every Bristol resident is paramount, as he promised to do everything possible to protect tenants from experiencing a tragedy such as the Grenfell fire.

City bosses and MP Kerry McCarthy joined fire fighters at Butler House in St George to speak to people about any concerns they have following the devastating blaze in the London tower block and issue safety advice.

Despite reassurances that none of Bristol’s 59 tower blocks are clad with the same material as the Grenfell Tower, tensions ran high among some residents of the council-owned accommodation, as fears that the same could happen to them came to the surface.

Itel Wright fears if there was a fire in his tower block home he would not be able to get out

“What would happen if there was a fire up there?” asked Butler House resident Itel Wright, 75.

“I have lived in Bristol for more than 50 years and I think these buildings have been here for 40 years. I am not as healthy as I used to be and if I was up there, I could not get out. Older people will never get out.”

Council and fire safety officers say they are confident that all tower blocks in the city are safe and subjected to regular checks, but additional inspections are being carried out to ensure all possible measures are in place to protect residents.

“We want to offer people reassurance,” said Rees. “We are confident that over the last few years, Bristol teams have been at the forefront of safety but we want to be sure people are safe. We will check all 59 tower blocks and will also reach out to other housing, such as student accommodation blocks that we don’t manage.

“We will take action if we find there is a problem. I want the fire service to make recommendations to make sure people are as safe as possible.

“People are important, irrespective of whether you are rich or poor. This is a city where everybody will be treated with respect. We have to take seriously the political message coming out of Grenfell. We will see after the investigations, but early indications are that decisions were made to save money.

“I want to reassure our tenants that we are doing all that can possibly be done to protect them, and make sure that Bristol never experiences a similar tragedy.”

Inside Butler House, he faced one angry resident who demanded to know how they could be sure people would be safe.

Resident Richard Simmonds raises some of his concerns with assistant chief fire officer Simon Shilton

Assistant chief fire officer for Avon Fire and Rescue Service, Simon Shilton, said the service works closely with the council already and confirmed all council tower blocks have fire risk assessments in place which are checked annually.

“Our fire fighters are here to reassure residents, promote home fire safety checks, engage with residents about any concerns they may have and talk to them about a potential escape plan,” he said.

“We really want to provide that reassurance. We have regular inspection programmes on all our high rise blocks.”

Richard Simmonds is not convinced by council reassurances

Second floor resident Richard Simmonds, 63, is yet to be convinced. “I’m still a little bit on edge with it until they can prove it’s not clad in the same stuff,” he told Bristol247.

“I’m happy to see people here taking it seriously, it shows that there is something happening. As far as London goes, I think the Government were sitting back on their laurels and today it seems like everyone is waking up.”

Resident John Blake, 71, added that he fears for his disabled wife who would be unable to escape.

Kerry McCarthy says people need reassurance more than ever at a time like this.

Kerry McCarthy, MP for Bristol East, said that at a time like this, it’s particularly important to make sure people are reassured.

She told Bristol247: “Obviously after what happened in London, a lot of people are concerned. I have had a lot of emails coming in from people wanting to know whether residents in high rise blocks are safe. We will await the outcome of the report, but I think it’s really brought home that austerity does have an impact if we try to cut corners. Really dreadful, horrendous costs in this case.”

Cabinet member for housing Paul Smith said the council will await the report from the Grenfell investigation and promised that if any safety advice comes to light that is not already being put into practise, they will take action.

Station manager Steve Quinton, technical fire safety manager at Avon Fire and Rescue Service said: “The Grenfell Tower fire was an absolute tragedy and as a service we will take a particular interest in the investigation to make sure we do everything we can to ensure the safety of residents of high rise properties in our area.

“A fire in a tower block which caused such widespread damage and claimed so many lives is unprecedented in this country which is why it continues to cause so much shock.

“Like any home, flats in tower blocks are at risk of accidental fires, but on countless occasions the design of the buildings and the safety advice provided by landlords and fire and rescue services have kept residents safe.

“In the wake of the awful events in London it is natural that residents of high rise buildings will question safety advice, particularly the ‘stay put’ policy.  The visits we’ll be undertaking with Bristol City Council will be an opportunity for local people to discuss their concerns with us and for our staff to explain why the ‘stay put’ guidance remains the safest response to a fire.”

Read more: Tales from the tower