A dad and his children were stuck in a bad B&B for 27 weeks, leading to a £3,700 compensation order from the council after a complaint was upheld.
The Local Government Ombudsman stepped in and said the council messed up. They ordered Bristol City Council to pay £3,700 in compensation. The council had to apologize too.
The law is clear: B&Bs aren’t meant for families or young people. They should only be used for a maximum of six weeks. But this family was stuck there from late January to mid-July.
The council explained that the housing crisis sometimes forces them to use hotels and B&Bs. But that doesn’t make it right. Initially, they offered the dad £800, but the ombudsman said that was way too low.
After a review, the council finally admitted the accommodation was unsuitable. It had shared cooking facilities, which isn’t ideal for families.
The dad also raised concerns about pests and repairs. The council did follow up on those issues, but it took a while. They said they would work on urgent health and safety matters.
Cllr Barry Parsons from the council acknowledged the ombudsman’s findings. He promised they’d learn from this and improve their future decisions.
Bristol is facing a housing crisis, and the demand for temporary housing is high. The council is trying to tackle this issue with new measures to prevent homelessness.
They’re also working on building more affordable homes. It’s a tough challenge, but they’re making progress.
