1958 Bristol towerblock evacuated after survey revealed it was 'not built to plans'

Bristol City Council has declared a major incident after it found the structure of a tower block was at risk in the event of a fire, explosion or large impact.

A survey of three of the 98 flats in Barton House (pictured above) which is owned by the council, found that they are structurally compromised. More than 400 residents were evacuated from the building on Tuesday night (14 November) while more in-depth inspections are carried out. An independent survey revealed that concrete in the 1958 construction had not been fitted correctly. According to reports, the material was not attached properly when the building was built.

Speaking to the BBC, a city councillor said the structure was not constructed according to plans. 'If the building was built to design we wouldn't have this problem,' he said.

Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees said there is a "lack of structural ties between the floors and the load-bearing external walls", meaning the building has a lower fire resistance.

The council said the building was not affected by the same reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) which caused issues in many schools and hospitals.

Urgent further surveys are taking place to determine if the whole building will need to be condemned.

Bristol City Council also said Barton House was built in a different way to other tower blocks in the city, so it is not expecting the issue to affect them.