Plans to rebuild Bristol's concrete cancer homes scrapped
Plans to rebuild hundreds of homes riddled with concrete cancer in Bristol have been shelved.
The 549 homes affected are in Sea Mills, Henbury, Lockleaze and Lawrence Weston.
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Known as pre-cast reinforced concrete (PRC) homes, they were considered too costly to repair and were scheduled for demolition and rebuilding.
However, the council did not have the money to pay for the project itself and so began looking for a developer to create a partnership deal.
The idea was for a developer to build 1,000 homes on council land – 300 of which would be taken back into council ownership and the rest would have been sold off privately.
But the tendering process has come to a halt because of the financial downturn.
Graham Sims, the council officer in charge of neighbourhoods, said: "This is not the news that many residents will want to hear after months of waiting.
"Unfortunately, the global recession, which has hit the UK housing and financial markets, has had an impact on the PRC project which could not have been predicted.
"We deeply regret the inconvenience caused to tenants and residents and our priority remains to come up with a solution as soon as possible."
Tenants affected received letters from the council yesterday.
Mr Sims said they expected to take up to 12 months to find a new solution.
Lib Dem Cabinet councillor Tim Kent, who is in charge of the council's housing department, said: "The situation is catastrophic for residents whose homes need repairs or even rebuilding.
"We will do everything we can to sort things out and find new solutions to the problems of people living in PRC homes.
"Residents will be properly consulted and we want to bring back on board those residents, such as some of those who live in Sea Mills, who have criticised or raised concerns about the proposed rebuilding scheme in the past.
"The council withdrew for a number of reasons, principally relating to financial issues affecting value for money and the achievement of the project's main goals. The social housing would have been paid for with the hand-over of council-owned land, the value of which has slumped in the recession.
"The economic downturn has also hit developers trying to fund schemes through the sale of private housing."
Mr Kent promised to consult with tenants and to come forward with new solutions as soon as possible.
He said these could include refurbishing or repairing houses previously earmarked for demolition. He said: "This is an opportunity for us to take a deep breath, consult with tenants and everyone concerned, so that we can come up with a speedy, workable solution as soon as possible."
The PRC homes were built mostly after World War II to ease a chronic housing shortage. They used a steel frame which was clad with reinforced concrete.
The big steel bolts which hold the frame together have been found to be rusting away – hence the name, concrete cancer.
A study in 2004 found that the estimated cost of rebuilding the PRCs would be £48 million while the cost of repairs would have been £32m.
The vast majority of PRC homes in the city – more than 2,000 – were considered to be fit for repair but some, known as the Parkinsons and the Woolaways, were judged to have inherent faults.
The tendering process did not lead to any preferred bidders being selected or any contracts being signed.
Mr Kent said that because the scheme had been stopped before that stage had been reached, there was time to re-evaluate and come up with new solutions.
He said one way forward would be to urge the Homes and Communities Agency (formerly Housing Corporation), a government quango which funds social housing, to change its rules so the council had more leeway in drawing up a new scheme.
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by steve, easton
Saturday, May 16 2009, 3:19PM
“This is a disgrace.It's not good enough. People are in need here, for Cl Kent to say 'The house price crash means the numbers don't add up' is a disgrace too - what he means is that the greedy developers won't make enought money out of it. Here's a radical idea - why don't councils build houses rather than pay PR people huge amounts of money - and then use the rent to repaur the houses! NO exactly rocket science. I want to know how much these developers have made in the good years. Housing is a right not a priviledge. If the people from this community want to organise some public protests about this i would have thought they would get a lot of support. WHo knows maybe they could force the council to live up to its responsibilities!”
by James S, Bristol
Monday, May 11 2009, 9:26AM
“Hmm..
I find it quite depressing that the man named as ¿in charge of the councils housing department¿ is so very quick to promise everyone a quick and speedy route to new solutions with one hand, and damn the workers in his own department with the other - A very public display of two facedness.
Surely a good manager shoulders the responsibilities of his departments actions..
It's quite a depressing start for the Lib Dems - The death of a large project (Obviously nothing to do with the departmental head, it's apparently not his decision.. He only gives the good news and go-ahead for projects; never ends them).
But at least Mr Kent gets to blame all failure on the staff while wiping the slate clean and promising great things to everyone just in time for an election.
Very handy timing, not political at all I'm sure.”
by Cllr Tim Kent, Bristol
Monday, May 11 2009, 7:14AM
“Firstly can I apologised to those tenants who did not receive their letter from the Council on Friday. There can be no excuse for this and I find it hard to understand how a simple instruction has been so poorly carried out.
Secondly to address those who still falsly claim that this has been decided for political reasons - I never decided to cancel the project.
This decision was made by Officers who sit on the project board. Financaily we could not go ahead nor could we legally - there was no option available at all to go ahead. People are welcome to contact me direct if they wish.
I met with several PRC tenants on Saturday and will continue to meet with any that wish to speak to me.”
by James S, Bristol
Sunday, May 10 2009, 9:26PM
“It's possible that things were slowing under labour, but a quick look at the Lib Dem's website news section shows they've been activly against the PRC schemes across the city.
Which is more likely? A vast conspiracy involving assorted developers, council departments and what-not.. Or that a party who've always opposed the scheme gaining control and stopping.
My monies on the latter.”
by Tracey, Lawrence Weston
Sunday, May 10 2009, 7:44PM
“We've not received any letter either! The first we new about it was reading it on here! We pay full rent for our house yet the council are refusing to come and replace our windows which are falling out due to rotten frames, we have holes in our roof and most recently - a major gas leak due to a faulty, ancient back boiler - and what do the council say when you report anything? - "it's to expensive for us to do any major repairs". It sickens us every month to part with our hard earned cash for the rent - but if we didn't pay it the council would soon write to us then!”
by A fed up PRC Tenant, Sea Mills
Sunday, May 10 2009, 2:17PM
“Three points I wish to raise:
1) Why are PRC tenants paying the same rent as all other council tenants when they do not get the same level of service? Other council houses now have double glazing, gas central heating and loft insulation. I have no heating and the council told me 10 years ago this was because I lived in a PRC property. PRC tenants should pay a reduced level of rent as they receive a reduced level of service.
2) Why have the council not had the decency to let PRC tenants know what is going on first hand? I have not received a letter? Am I the only one?
3) I am sick of living in limbo...this is not been my home for many years, just a house I live in.”
by F W, Bristol
Sunday, May 10 2009, 12:00PM
“James S - isnt it more likely that the project was already going down the pan thanks to Labour's recession, and that the previous Labour council was just keeping it secret?”
by Cllr Tim kent, Bristol
Sunday, May 10 2009, 11:07AM
“It is a great shame that we have had to stop the procurement for the replaceent of the PRCs. BUT the crash in house prices simply meant the project no longer added up and would fail to deliver all the new housing as we had hoped. We will work with tenants, who I know will be upset by this, to find a workable solution as soon as possible. It is also a shame that some people have already tried to use this for political gain. We need everyone working together to find a solution rather than making up stories for political advantage.”
by Paul, Kingsway
Sunday, May 10 2009, 9:00AM
“Tony, good point made.
This is awful for residents who are in many cases living in sub-standard accommodation.
Also, not knowing when your house is going to be demolished, it is hard to make plans for upkeep and decoration.”
by Tony, Lawrence Weston
Saturday, May 09 2009, 11:49PM
“What the heck we have only been waiting 16 years while different councils decide what to do with these houses we still have all the original windows on the back and the side of the house some you cannot open as they are rotten. But we will have to wait while some other body of councillers stick thier thumbs up thier a&*%e and try to justify thier job and as for letters we have not had one.
The whole thing is a joke I wonder if one of the so called councillers would like to put thier lives on hold for 10 years only to be told to hang on for another 12 months while they play childish games”