Ipswich Cardinal Lofts: residents told to leave tower block again after 'further fire risks' found

Residents of an Ipswich tower block at the centre of a dispute over fire safety have been dealt another blow, with Suffolk's FIre and Rescue Service issuing a new 'Prohibition Notice' for the entire building.

The move means access to the entire building is now restricted, not just the top three floors which were evacuated in November.

Bosses at the local fire service say they've been left with no choice but to act after 'new information' emerged suggesting the ability of the building to resist a fire is 'significantly worse' than previously thought.

The building's owner Grey GR told residents to leave last month after commissioning its own risk assessment, but Suffolk Fire and Rescue stopped short of legally obliging residents to move out.

Everyone who lives in Cardinal Lofts will now have to find temporary accomodation while work to improve fire safety is carried out - although as yet there is no clear plan of action from the building's owner.

Toby Gray, Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service’s Area Manager for Prevention and Protection, said: “Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service will only ever issue a Prohibition Notice when all alternative options have been exhausted as we appreciate how devastating it is for people to leave their homes.

“In the case of Cardinal Lofts, we have recently learned that the state of the building is worse than previously thought, posing a danger to occupants, and putting our firefighters and the waking watch at risk of serious injury or death in the event of a fire, meaning it would be highly irresponsible for us not to enforce an immediate evacuation of all floors.

“We are disappointed on behalf of residents that the fire service was not fully informed about structural issues at the property.

"Had we been made aware of these dangerous defects when the first Prohibition Notice was issued, months of uncertainty and confusion for those living at Cardinal Lofts may have been avoided.

“Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has repeatedly urged Grey GR to provide a timeline for remediation works to give residents the clarity they deserve, and remains committed to working with partners, including the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to seek the best outcome for all those affected.”

A spokesperson for Grey GR said: “We have been updated late this morning that Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has made the decision to issue a Prohibition Notice on all remaining flats at Cardinal Lofts.

“This follows the difficult decision made by Grey GR on 21 February 2023 to ask residents to evacuate Cardinal Lofts, following the combined results of several in-depth surveys it had instructed at the property.

"The reports included the findings of the most intrusive inspections carried out at the building as part of the ongoing remediation process and included inspections within a number of apartments as well as communal spaces. The findings were shared with SFRS and have been made available to residents.

“While we understand that this is a distressing time for residents, the Prohibition Notice issued today by SFRS aligns with the recommendation from Grey GR’s fire safety experts that the building be evacuated to ensure resident safety.

"We ask all remaining residents still residing in Cardinal Lofts to comply with the Prohibition Notice. Our Managing Agent is on the ground to help residents in the evacuation and coordinate transportation to the short-term hotel accommodation Grey has secured.

“Since Grey GR’s decision to evacuate Cardinal Lofts, we have worked as quickly as possible with residents to understand their needs and ensure that we move them from the hotels to apartments that meet their longer-term needs.

"Apartment accommodation has been offered to all residents, and to date, residents from over 30 flats have been provided with alternative apartments.

"The local market for apartments is constrained and apartments are being secured as they become available. We will continue to work with remaining residents to find accommodation which suits their individual needs and enables them to settle as comfortably as possible.

"Whilst Cardinal Lofts is unsafe for occupation, the cost of hotel accommodation and apartments will continue to be paid for by Grey.

“Grey is fully committed to remediating Cardinal Lofts and to return residents to a safe home.

"This building is extremely complex, and whilst some work has started, it would be wrong to provide imprecise estimates at this time how long it might take to fully correct all the issues.

"This is a very challenging time for residents, and we are sincerely sorry for the disruption. Our priority is to ensure resident safety and we want to have residents back in safer homes as soon as possible.”