Health experts warn South Bristol apartment block is "cramped" and "dangerous"
Five NHS organisations have signed a letter calling for the council to stop sending families to the site in Hengrove
NHS bosses in South Bristol have signed an open letter calling on Bristol City Council to stop sending families to Imperial Apartments.
The former office block in Hengrove is now used as temporary accommodation, but local charities say it's mouldy, cramped and dangerous.
Homeless charity Shelter has written to City Hall, demanding families be re-housed:
"The restrictive physical characteristics of the accommodation, although designed under permitted development rights, mean that a lot of flats are not actually suitable for people to live in," the charity said in the letter.
"According to local midwives, the small size of the flats also severely limits the space that children have to develop and grow in, especially babies who are crawling and learning to walk.
"There are constant reports from residents of communal areas being littered with drug and alcohol paraphernalia, as well as vermin infestations, flats with damp and mould, and other disrepair issues."
More than 400 people have signed the letter, including ACORN the Union, Housing Matters, Knowle West Health Park Company, Hartwood Healthcare, Hillview Medical Practice, Swift Primary Care Network, and the Community Midwifery Team.
The letter calls for the council to stop placing families at Imperial Apartments, prioritise families currently living at Imperial Apartments for rehousing, and provide clear routes for anyone housed in Imperial Apartments to move out.
Councillor Richard Eddy, Vice Chair of the Homes and Housing Delivery Committee, said: “Earlier this week, Councillor Parsons and I had a constructive meeting at Imperial Apartments with representatives from Caridon and Shelter, as well as senior housing officers from the council.
"We have done a great deal of work in partnership with Caridon over the last year which has resulted in significant improvements for residents.
“However, we are currently considering our options for when our contracts with Caridon come up for review. No decisions have been made yet, but we value input from our partners, and we’ll carefully consider the letter from Shelter.”