Ipswich cladding issue branded "absolute injustice"

Despite surveys undertaken following the Grenfell Tower tragedy determined the block of flats in Ipswich posed minimal risk, residents have seen the unexpected introduction of a waking watch service.

According to residents and leaseholders the service came as a "total surprise" and so did the expected monthly charges of around £300.

The building is managed by Block Management UK who apparently provided no warning of the service's implementation, leaving residents confused and frustrated.

Claire Hamblion, who lives in the flats along the waterfront, told us: "Now another survey has been done which says we must now be high risk on the basis that they've deployed the waking watch.

"There's been no consultation and in the report and risk assessment documentation we've received from Block Management, it says residents should have had consultation on this and some choice on whether they should be deployed or not."

Within the report it also states that residents can carry out the waking watch service themselves, providing they have been trained, which we're told would have been the favourable option, if they had been given the choice.

Claire continued: "It's an absolute injustice that leaseholders are being expected to pay these costs when we've bought these properties in good faith. These buildings must have been signed off by building regulators when they were built as being safe in terms of fire.

"We should not be having to pick up the cost for this."

Ms Hamblion contacted the MP for Ipswich, Tom Hunt, about the issue recently who replied with a letter offering his support this week.

Mr Hunt said in a statement: "I’m very concerned by the problems around the cladding at Cardinal Lofts and the impact on residents. I’ve been contacted directly by Claire Hamblion and I fully appreciate how the conflicting safety assessments and potentially long timescales getting the right fire safety certificate has left her, and likely many other residents, facing a great deal of uncertainty with the value of her property plummeting.

"And the recent news that each flat will be charged £300 for fire wardens while she is already in this limbo only rubs salt in the wounds."

Mr Hunt said he's sent a letter to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors to directly look into the case and has offered to work with Ms Hamblion in drafting questions to Ministers to press the Government to support residents of Cardinal Lofts with costs of safety measures.

He continued: "I have immense sympathy for all those this issue is affecting. Since I was elected, I’ve been very active on the issue at St Francis Tower where leaseholders are facing similar issues, but I appreciate that St Francis Tower isn’t the only case impacting my constituents in Ipswich.

"Government action hasn’t been as quick or sometimes as extensive as I would have liked, but I’m working with colleagues in Parliament to push this issue up the agenda."

Mr Hunt concluded that a big part of resolving cases like this will be holding the people responsible for putting the cladding up to account.

We have contacted Block Management UK for comment in response to claims residents were not consulted about the issue.

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