Raw sewage floods temporary accommodation flats

Young families have described their temporary accommodation as "hell" after raw sewage filled their baths, toilets and sinks.

Imperial Apartments in Hartcliffe, Bristol, which is owned and run by Caridon, has been used by the council since 2020 to house people threatened with homelessness but there have been calls to end this following years of issues at the converted office block.

Maisy May Webb, 27, who lives in one of the affected flats with her two-year-old daughter, said: "It's disgusting we're living in the place like this."

Caridon has apologised and said it was supporting three households to ensure they were re-housed at Imperial Apartments or offered an alternative.

Webb has had to deal with raw sewage coming up into her flat in the past week.

"Our bath has been filling up with wee and poo, our toilets have been blocked and sinks," she said.

She reported the issue on Friday and it appeared to be resolved after maintenance people came but then it happened again on Saturday evening.

With no out-of-ours number to call, the contractor did not come until Sunday morning.

The young mother has not been able to bathe her daughter, who has epilepsy, autism and severe asthma.

"She's coming out with rashes on her skin and the only thing that would soothe her is a shower and we've not had that all weekend," said Webb.

Webb has lived at Imperial Apartments for two years which she described as "hell".

She said other problems have included her water going on and off, cockroaches, bedbugs, rats, mould and anti-social behaviour.

She was offered another flat within Imperial Apartments but thought this would not be suitable for her daughter so she has requested that the council offer her alternative temporary accommodation.

"I don't know why they are still using it as a housing option, especially for families," she said.

Another resident, who did not want to be named, said raw sewage had come up through the bath, toilet and sink in her flat three times in the past two weeks.

The woman, who has a six-month-old baby, said: "It was horrendous - I can't even describe the smell."

The sewage flooding her flat has ruined furniture in all the rooms, she said.

"I stood in my flat door and I cried," she said. "I lost everything.

"How they keep placing families in there - the rubbish, the rats, the anti-social behaviour - it's vile. It's not good enough.

"They need to take accountability for what we're living in. We're living like animals on the street and it isn't good."

This is the latest in a long list of problems reported at Imperial Apartments which prompted housing charities last year to call on the council to stop placing families there.

As well as cramped flats being too small for families, maintenance problems not being fixed and anti-social behaviour not being dealt with, families have reported being stuck at Imperial Apartments after being told they would only be placed there on a temporary basis.

A Caridon spokesperson said: "We are sorry that residents have been affected by this issue which we rectified within our 24-hour service level agreement.

"We are continuing to support the three households impacted appropriately to ensure they are either re-housed at Imperial or they are happy with the alternative options offered to them."

Bristol City Council has been approached for comment.

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