Council to inspect all Bristol tower blocks in wake of Twinnell House fire

All of Bristol’s high-rise housing blocks are to be inspected in the wake of the Twinnell House tragedy.

Bristol City Council is investing up to £1million on the checks, which are required under new regulations from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.

It came as mayor Marvin Rees urged tenants not to leave electrical items on charge overnight and praised the response to the fatal Easton blaze.

Abdul Jabar Oryakhel, 30, died after falling from a 16th-floor window while trying to escape the blaze.

The council has committed to inspecting all of its 62 high-rise tower blocks to ensure they meet the appropriate fire safety regulations.

‘Tragic case’

Cllr Tom Renhard, who is Labour’s cabinet member for housing, explained: “Fire safety is a hugely important area for Bristol City Council and we’ve invested over £2.5million a year in fire safety measures across our council properties.

“We’ve been regularly reviewing how our buildings are operating and that our fire safety measures are up to date, working very closely with Avon Fire & Rescue Service.

“The recent tragic case at Twinnell House is a sobering reminder that incidents can happen, and having fire safety measures in place is really important to protect the whole buildings and the residents in the event of an emergency. 

“The measures worked, they kept the fire contained.”

Funding for the inspections - which are required following the Grenfell Inquiry - will come from the authority’s £3.8million underspend on its 2021/22 housing revenue account (HRA), which is ring-fenced for council homes.

Cllr Renhard said a pilot phase for the inspections was already underway, with reports and recommendations to be shared with residents in due course.

‘Our high-rise blocks are safe’

A cabinet report said: “Independent assessments have been completed to assess the fire safety measures in place.

“Bristol City Council believes that our high-rise blocks of flats are safe, and the previous independent assessments have corroborated this.

"However, new regulations have been produced following the Grenfell Inquiry and we are now required to plan a new inspection programme for the blocks that are over 18 metres.

“A pilot phase of work to complete four assessments is underway, to test the market and identify costs. This indicates costs at up to £18,000 per inspection, with a total estimated cost in excess of £800,000.”

Credit: Adam Postans, Local Democracy Reporter