Amesbury flat fires: One Stop closed and residents still in hotels

Six of the 16 displaced people who lived in flats at Sandell Place, Amesbury, are staying in hotels and a further eight have been put into BnBs.

One Stop beneath the affected flats had to close on Thursday, September 21, because flood water which came through holes in the building caused issues with the store's electrics.

Ten staff members were relocated to Bath and Andover but no one can enter the building until it is made safe which is expected to take more than two weeks.

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A devastating fire broke out in the block of social houses at around 7.09pm on Friday, June 9, and crews from across Wiltshire battled it for more than six hours.

Social housing provider Stonewater, which manages the flats in Sandell Place, offered alternative emergency accommodation for all residents but the people still living in hotels feel like "victims stuck in limbo".

Chris Bonella (left) and Ben Appleby (right) outside the burned-out flats. (Image: Salisbury Journal)

Wiltshire Council offered resident Chris Bonella "unsuitable" homes in Chilmark and the Friary, Salisbury, but he turned them down and the council is now threatening to strike him off the waiting list.

The 57-year-old, who is living in a hotel with his adult son, said: "I feel like I'm being treated as if I have come over on a boat. I have lived here for 54 years.

"Me and my son still have sleepless nights reliving the fire. It is depressing because we don't know what is happening."

This flat was one of the most damaged. (Image: Salisbury Journal)

Mr Bonella said he was forced to move six times in eight days after his home was damaged by smoke but hotels are only booked for up to two weeks at a time so he feels as though he can't settle for long.

The alternative is for residents to rent privately but Mr Bonella said many people's credit score is poor, adding: "You’re pushing residents with bad credit into a system that they will never get into. It is making the situation worse."

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Neighbour Ben Appleby, 32, said it could take "another eight months" for Sandell Place to be habitable.

Mr Appleby is worried he could be offered a council house as far as Chippenham or Trowbridge but said it wouldn't work as he needs to care for his mother in Amesbury.

"You're told you're homeless due to no fault of your own but you're being forced to accept places far away from your home," he added.

No one is living in Sandell Place anymore. (Image: Salisbury Journal)

The pair said communication with Stonewater has been minimal with weekly to monthly updates.

Now, they are concerned that flood damage and subsequent mould will create further problems for Sandell Place.

Residents believe the fire started from the bin storage but since Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service launched an investigation, nothing has been disclosed.

Mr Appleby said residents "should have a right to know" what happened on June 9.

Director of housing operations Dave Lockerman, at Stonewater, assured that remedial work will not only rectify the structural repairs to the building but will also take care of water damage.

He added: "Six households remain in local hotels, but we continue to undertake daily searches for suitable local Airbnbs, private rented accommodation and we are working towards buying four homes that are currently for sale locally for customers to rent.

“We have made two offers of alternative accommodation already that haven’t been accepted because they weren’t as close to Sandell Place as the customers wanted. But with current housing supply shortages right across Wiltshire it is always going to be very challenging to re-house a large number of customers, particularly in these circumstances."

Mr Lockerman claims each customer has direct access to a specific customer partner who has daily contact.

Vets4Pets is still operating as normal and has reportedly been unaffected by the fire.

Wiltshire Council was approached for comment.