Works to repair a block of flats that caught fire in Edmund Park last month could take up to a year to complete, according to Selwood Housing.
The fire originated in a second-floor flat on Marigold Road, Edmund Park, on 3rd December. Devon and Somerset Fire Rescue confirmed the fire was ‘accidental’ and started by a candle.
At the time of the fire, nine residents of the flats were evacuated and moved into temporary accommodation by Selwood Housing, which owns and manages the flats.
One resident, Chloe Raeburn, has reported that she has now been moved to live in Trowbridge after there was nothing temporarily available in Frome.
She said, “I am not happy about the whole situation. Lots of things are wrong at the moment. They have given us the option of either waiting for the flats to become available, which could take up to a year, or being offered new flats in Keyford. I don’t know what I am going to do.”
A spokesperson for Selwood Housing said, “We are continuing our support to customers impacted by the fire at Edmund Park, focusing on securing their interim accommodation for the coming months and, where possible, returning their belongings to them. Each customer’s situation is different and we continue to work on a case-by-case basis to understand their requirements and preferences for now and for the future.
“Repairs are underway at the affected apartment block. Before Christmas, work was undertaken on the gable end and a temporary roof is now in place. Working with our contractors, we expect repairs to take nine to 12 months to complete.”
Pictured: The fire at the Edmund Park flats. Credit Chloe Raeburn
