Since 2012, we’ve invested around £2.5 million each year in actions across our council housing estate aimed at improving building safety for our tenants. That investment has seen us replace fire doors, carry out works in flats to improve barriers between walls and floors to prevent the spread of fire, and work to provide better information to tenants on safety arrangements.

During the past seven years we’ve prioritised practical efforts to minimise the risk from dangers posed by fire, and other threats that buildings face. Throughout this period, we’ve followed the advice and guidance from various sources including national regulations and fire service expertise, and feedback from tenants.

Since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, we’ve seen changes in this advice with the introduction of new regulations in relation to inspections and new advice from fire services on building safety. This changing picture has required us to act to keep pace and ensure that council homes remain safe and the risk from threats is minimised.

In response to this changing regulatory environment, we committed to invest around £96 million over the coming years to introduce new safety measures into our high-rise blocks, alongside the 24-hour safety patrols already put in place across the blocks that need it. This investment includes installing new sprinkler systems and temporary fire alarm systems, which will be getting underway next month. 

We are also proceeding with the removal of expanded polystyrene cladding (EPS) from blocks with it installed, following new advice given by Avon Fire and Rescue in the wake of the fire at Ecclestone House last year.

Residents of seven blocks* will receive letters this week, informing them of the imminent works about to begin in their properties to install sprinklers and fire alarms. This work will begin in October, with a second batch of blocks to follow later in 2023**.

Further planned programmes are in the diary for the spring months of 2024, and by the end of this financial year we expect to see most blocks in the city fitted with fire alarm systems, and the sprinkler programme moving into phase two. These programmes are being prioritised on a risk basis, depending on the needs of their block.

During that time, we expect to complete another set of cladding removals, with four more EPS removal projects commencing in early January 2024 to have their EPS cladding removed. This follows the recent removal of cladding from Gilton House and Rowan House, in addition to Ecclestone House and Phoenix House earlier this year.

This new investment into safety measures sits alongside that commitment to annual investment in safety measures and a regular cycle of inspections to keep sight of any additional measures we may need to fund in future. This also includes a £2 million investment being made to carry out stock condition surveys of over 20,000 council homes by end of 2025.

Those living in council housing can also expect to see further information on building safety sent to them and a chance to feedback their views, in the latter months of the year. Tenants can also expect to see council officers going from door to door, seeking out views and feedback as we step up our work to inform our investment.

Our aim is to ensure that every person living in a council housing block has access to the right information, in a way they can understand, about what to do in an emergency and what action they can take to maximise the safety of their household.

As the anniversaries of the fires at Twinnell House and Ecclestone House approach, I look back on the past twelve months and recognise the difficult journey many of our tenants have been on with us. There’s been lots of passionate discussion, all of it listened to and heard as part of shaping this next phase of our building safety programme.

*The seven blocks that will form part of the first phase of the work are:

• Croydon House – fire alarm
• Hayleigh House – sprinklers
• Lansdowne Court – fire alarm
• Middleford House – sprinklers
• Millmead House – sprinklers
• Rawnsley House – fire alarm
• Twinnell House – fire alarm

**The second batch of blocks are:

• Barlands House – fire alarm
• Barwick House – fire alarm
• Brookridge House – fire alarm
• Sedgewick House – fire alarm
• Southbow house – sprinklers
• Whitemead House – sprinklers
• Winterstoke House – sprinklers

Home is where the heart is. It is the place where memories are created and cherished, but, for some people, their home can start to feel like a barrier to their wellbeing if their care needs change. That might mean considering saying goodbye to the home they love and may have lived in for a considerable amount of time, and that might add to their anxiety. However, thanks the work we do with We Care Home Improvements, that doesn’t always need to be the case.

At Bristol City Council, we work with We Care Home Improvements (WECHI) to provide funded home improvement work to eligible people and where subsidies aren’t available, offer low cost loans. We started to work with them back in 2018 and recently approved an extension of their contract at Cabinet in June.

What having home adaptations can mean to someone

Home adaptations help people live independently as much as possible and can be needed for several reasons. To help them enter and leave their homes; wash, bathe and use the toilet; use living and sleeping areas; use food preparation and cooking areas; access some of the garden and reduce risks in the home related to an impairment.

Who can get help from us with home adaptations

We may be able to help any vulnerable adult in need of home adaptions, but we’ll see you as a priority if you’re terminally ill, your care arrangements have broken down, your health has suddenly got worse, there is risk of physical injury to you or your carer, or you can’t come home from hospital without alterations to your home.

Returning home to a much safer environment thanks to We Care Home Improvements

We Care Home Improvements (WECHI) recently helped make home adaptations to Mr H’s house after being referred to them when he was admitted to hospital. Concerns had been raised that his home was unsafe for him to return to. He lives alone and has no close family or support network. An initial visit was made to assess the issues at the property and a visit to the hospital to agree the works with Mr H. Fall risks included an insecure handrail on the stairs, a loose stair carpet, and the wooden kitchen floor was also unsafe. In addition, the front door lock was faulty, and the toilet cistern was broken. A deep clean was required and a key-safe needed to be fitted to enable a package of care to be put in place for Mr H to return home.

Before any repair work could be undertaken, a deep clean was carried out. A WECHI handyperson visited the property to carry out the small repairs which included securing the rail and stair carpet, fixing the front door lock and fitting a key-safe to enable access for carers. The toilet was then replaced by a plumbing contractor and a carpenter carried out extensive repairs to the kitchen floor, to make it safe.

All the works were coordinated and completed within five working days, and the hospital was updated so that a package of care could be arranged for Mr H to return home as soon as possible.

You can find out more about home adaptations and equipment, how Bristol City Council can help you or someone you know carry on living independently at home and how to get in touch by visiting Home adaptations and equipment (bristol.gov.uk)

Bristol is now the UK’s most expensive city to rent in outside of London, with the average rent growing by 12.9% annually. In the decade since 2011, the cost of renting privately has grown by 52%, while wages have increased by just 24%. High prices have been compounded by increasing demand, with the population increasing 10% between 2011 and 2021. There are now over 134,000 people currently renting privately in Bristol, representing almost one-third of the city’s population.

Living in quality affordable accommodation is essential for people to live happy and healthy lives. Spiralling costs mean housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable, pushing many further away from their place of work, family, and support networks. Ensuring an affordable and fair private rented sector is also essential to our city’s ecosystem, prosperity, and productivity.  

In our 2021 manifesto, we pledged to make Bristol a “living rent city” and lobby central government for rent control powers. Since then, we’ve worked across the sector to better support private renters, including the roll out of further landlord licensing schemes, stamping out illegal ‘no DSS’ discrimination, and hosting the first Renters’ Summit to share experiences of renting in Bristol. We’ve also put two motions to Full Council to try to end discrimination against vulnerable tenants and seek cross-party support lobbying the Government for permission to introduce rent controls in Bristol.

Last year we launched the Living Rent Commission to look at issues with Bristol’s private rented sector (PRS) and ways to address the rising costs of renting in Bristol as well as the lack of security that renters face. The commission was made up of sector experts, tenants, and landlords. It has been co-chaired by myself and Professor Alex Marsh from the School for Policy Studies at the University of Bristol.  The commission heard from sector experts, government representatives and, most importantly, tenants.

There are no simple solutions to a crisis of this scale, and the commission has given us an opportunity to bring organisations together to explore the issues facing renters and the sector, to help us develop an approach that works for Bristol.

The final report, which has been published today, found that there is substantial popular support for rent control to help make renting more affordable, and has called on the council to lobby central government for rent control powers. The national government has recently published the Renters Reform Bill, which sets out their plans to reform the private rented sector and improve housing quality. I set out our thinking on the Bill, welcoming some overdue measures but explaining how it does not go far enough to guarantee decent living standards.

The proposals set out in the Bill will have positive impacts on renters in Bristol and will also ensure clarity for landlords should they come into effect. Our campaign for a fair rental sector has always acknowledged that most landlords provide decent homes and aim to support their tenants.

Armed with the Living Rent Commission report, I have written to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing, and Communities, calling on him to devolve powers to Local Authorities so they can better influence the affordability of the local private rented sector. My letter can be found below. The report’s recommendations reflect that the powers to regulate the market come from national government. Therefore, we must work with Westminster to develop any future policy. Working alongside Bristol’s MPs, we’ll ensure that the findings and recommendations from the Living Rent Commission are raised throughout the Renters Reform Bill’s progression through the House.

I will also be taking the report and the recommendations to Cabinet. In the meantime, we will continue to take a firm stance against poor property management standards and will look to continue to increase the supply of new housing in Bristol – adding to the 2,563 homes that were built in the city in 2021/22, including the most new affordable homes in more than a decade, as part of the more than 11,000 built since 2016.

Finding new and innovative ways to build housing is a key part of our plans to meet ambitious targets for much needed affordable homes across the city. One way to do this is to work with local communities to enable them to build the homes that best reflect the needs of the neighbourhood.

A key example of this approach can be found in Southmead, where we are supporting an ambitious regeneration and housing delivery programme.

The community-led Southmead Masterplan was published in 2018 by the Southmead Development Trust (SDT). It is a community-led development project where the stakeholders and wider community meet on regular basis to review development progress and contribute to decision making.

The plan aims to deliver around 230 new homes in central Southmead, with a mix of new affordable and market housing options, including a development of community-led housing at Glencoyne Square. These new homes will add to the 474 affordable homes we built in 2021/22 and the 1,300 new affordable homes currently being built across the city. Goram Homes, our council-owned housing company, has a pipeline of more than 3,100 new homes – half of them affordable – alongside the around 11,000 homes our administration has helped get built in Bristol since 2016.

Planning permission for 120 new homes was granted in 2021, but the scheme has since been re-designed to improve viability. The new scheme, which is currently going back through planning, is expected to provide up to 187 homes – of which around 66% will be affordable – alongside a new shared library, advice and learning hub, community enterprise space and a health and well-being hub. It is hoped work will start on site next year, subject to planning approval.

Unfortunately, the re-location of Southmead Health Centre has not been possible due to unavailability of sufficient match funding from the NHS. Instead, the proposed health centre area within the new scheme will be replaced with a smaller health and well-being hub, allowing SDT to provide additional new homes, with the current health centre expected to remain on its current site rather than move across.

Implementation of the plan is being undertaken over several phases, and we have already delivered a range of improvements to the Arnside Road district centre and shopping area. Public realm and sustainable urban drainage improvements to Arnside have been completed and opened to the public in May 2022, making the high street a more attractive, safer and eco-friendly place to visit. We have also purchased the White Hall site, which will be used for new council owned homes, while still retaining play facilities on the adjourning park site.

As with any big project of this size, there have been some challenges along the way. We were very disappointed when ALDI made the decision to not expand their anchor store. We had already done a great deal of work, alongside Southmead Development Trust, to relocate services that took place in the youth centre to a newly refurbished space at the Ranch – Southmead Adventure Playground.

Southmead Library has also been moved – taking up a temporary space at Southmead House before a new purpose-built home is created for it as part of future development in the area. We are keen to make sure that the library and youth centre buildings do not stand empty, and they are currently being used to provide day care services and sports classes. In the longer term, we are considering if they could be suitable for additional homes.

In 2019 we received £3.6 million of Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF) funding from Homes England to support the delivery of the masterplan, and we have already committed £7 million to help fund the non-residential space at Glencoyne Square. Cabinet will consider a further £620,000 investment to support the scheme, following ALDI’s decision not to expand its store, and to cover other rising costs.

Bristol is a rapidly growing city and is currently undergoing much transformation. Our regeneration programmes stretch from Bedminster to Temple Meads, St Judes’s to Broadmead, and also include Western Harbour, Hengrove, Filwood and Lockleaze. We need to keep working together to make sure that Bristol grows well, with local communities benefiting from the change happening on their doorstep. Regeneration will bring city-wide benefits so that everyone can thrive. 

We have a vision to create vibrant communities with sustainable, inclusive economic growth. Quality affordable homes and job opportunities will be in locations where we can have reliable, frequent public transport connections and be within walking and cycling routes.

The transformation of Southmead, including the provision of new homes, an improved town centre, and a healthy and inclusive local community will contribute to city-wide targets for housing and for developing economic and social opportunity and environmental sustainability.

The government’s Renters (Reform) Bill has finally been unveiled and, while the overdue plans to ban no fault evictions are welcome, I cannot help but feel that the proposals do not go far enough to tackle the mounting housing crisis being faced in Bristol and across the country. More needs to be done to provide protection for renters and tackle a market that has spiralled out of control.

Bristol’s private rented sector is becoming increasingly unaffordable, leading to serious access and affordability issues which are impacting the wellbeing and quality of life of people in Bristol and playing a major role in creating homelessness. Those in private rented accommodation have lived for too long without adequate protections and with very limited options to guarantee decent living standards.

Some proposals set out in the bill will have positive impacts on renters in Bristol and will also ensure clarity for landlords should they come into effect. Our campaign for a fair rental sector has always acknowledged that most landlords provide decent homes and aim to support their tenants. Solutions to this crisis need to be formed by working together across the sector and we’ve committed to with all parties to take positive action.

While I am pleased to see a basic decent homes standard planned, along with a new ombudsman to oversee the private rented sector, applying home quality standards to the private sector for the first time, the bill does little to address the affordability of renting. It will not provide for the powers for areas like Bristol to intervene in the private rented sector to tackle this issue – which could mean property owners will still find ways to skirt the laws by using large rent hikes to force unwanted tenants out who can’t afford them, even if rent increases are limited to once a year with a minimum two month notice period. Out of control rents mean housing is becoming increasingly unaffordable, pushing many further away from their place of work, family, and support networks.

Plans to make it illegal to refuse tenancies to people on benefits or with children are vitally important and will make sure no family is unjustly discriminated against when looking for a place to live. Banning discrimination against renters on benefits is something we have long campaigned for, making it council policy last year.

I also welcome the introduction of a property portal to act as a database for properties in the private rented sector. I will be looking at the detail of this to ensure what is brought in can be used to its full potential and equip tenants with the information they need about the property they are renting.

A right to request a pet is also a welcome step forward. As a dog owner myself, I know the important role pets can play in our lives. However, we need to ensure that a landlord not being able to unreasonably withhold consent is sufficiently clarified in law.

Here in Bristol, we have been campaigning for renters reform and increased security for tenants for some time, and must continue to put pressure on the government to deliver on their promises. Having a safe and secure roof over our heads is key to ensuring we all have the best possible opportunity to live a happy and healthy life but, unfortunately, many renters still live in fear of spiralling costs and unfair evictions. 

We have over 19,000 households on our waiting list for social housing, along with over 1,200 households in temporary accommodation. The cost of renting in this city is one key cause alongside the lack of security that renters have in the private rented sector.

In the Mayor’s 2021 manifesto, we pledged to make Bristol a “living rent city” and lobby central government for the powers to introduce rent controls that work for the city. Since this we’ve worked across the sector to better support private renters, including the roll out of landlord licensing schemes, stamping out illegal ‘no DSS’ discrimination and hosting the first the Renters’ Summit to share their experiences of renting in Bristol.

We also launched the Living Rent Commission, bringing the best, partnership focused organisations together to explore the issues facing renters. As part of its work looking to improve the affordability, quality and tenant experience of the private rented sector in Bristol, the One City Living Rent Commission has looked at how we can improve the sector, including what the impact of rent regulation across the city could be.

An upcoming report, written by the University of Bristol, will be officially launched in the coming weeks, sets out a range of recommendations based on evidence of the challenges we face and potential solutions we could introduce. We have made sure that a wide range of people have been heard during the process, including listening to the lived experience of tenants, residents and landlords.

There are no simple solutions to a crisis of this scale and we know that part of it is about building more homes that are truly affordable. However, the commission has given us an opportunity to bring organisations together to explore the issues facing renters and the sector, to help us develop an approach that works for Bristol and better protects renters.

The report’s recommendations reflect that the powers to regulate the market come from government. Therefore, we must work with Westminster to develop any future policy. The recommendations also highlight the need to continue the constructive dialogue with renters and other stakeholders in the private rented sector to achieve our goal of delivering meaningful and lasting positive change, enabling Bristol to become a Living Rent City.

We recognise that there is substantial support for rent control to help make renting in the city more affordable, however, there are also concerns about negative impacts. Further work will now take place to develop the proposals put forward in the report. This will happen in partnership with sector stakeholders and ensure that tenants’ views continue to be taken into account.