News / Unite Students
Video of loose panel at student accommodation goes viral
A video of a loose panel at a block of student accommodation has been watched almost 150,000 times.
The video is from a Twitter account called Newbuild Hate, which says it posts photos and commentary “on the miserable state of new build houses”.
In the short video, the camera first pans down from the student flats built above a carpark before showing the loose panel on the ground floor, which first looks as if it is concrete before it is pulled away from the wall showing a small cavity behind it.
is needed now More than ever
https://twitter.com/HateNewbuild/status/1437092735316541445
The video was taken at Waverley House, on Crow Lane in the city centre, above the Queen Charlotte Street NCP car park, which is lived in by more than 200 University of Bristol students.
The block is part of the University of Bristol’s three Riverside residences, made up of three different properties where students share social spaces, and accommodation costs from £146.50 per week for a standard room to £215 per week for a studio flat.
Waverley House is owned by Unite Students, who despite what many of the online comments underneath the video suggested, assured Bristol24/7 that “there is no safety issue”.
The loose panel was fixed on Monday and is due to be replaced. Before the repair took place, the panel could still easily be pulled a few centimetres towards the pavement.
Unite Students say that they believe the loose panel was caused by vandalism – photo: Martin Booth
A Unite Students spokesperson told Bristol24/7: “We are aware of a loose decorative panel at ground level, which we believe has been caused by vandalism, and can reassure students and their parents that there is no safety issue relating to this.
“The panel has been temporarily fixed as part of our routine on-going maintenance and will be replaced.
“In relation to cladding, in 2018 we removed all aluminium composite materials (ACM) on Waverley House and replaced with solid aluminium panels, meeting Government guidelines on façade coverings.”
Small bolts have now been attached to the panel – photo: Martin Booth
Waverley House was built above the NCP car park on Queen Charlotte Street – photo: Martin Booth
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read more: Bristol’s building safety crisis uncovered
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