"We're still living in unsafe homes": Ipswich campaigners six years on from the Grenfell
It's been six years since Grenfell Tower went up in flames
Last updated 14th Jun 2023
Six years since the Grenfell tower fire in west London, a Suffolk campaign group says there are still people in the county 'living in unsafe homes'.
The tragedy, which killed 72 people, sparked concerns about potentially unsafe cladding on buildings across the UK, including a number of towers in Ipswich.
Alex Dickin is the founder of the Ipswich Cladiators - and has lived in one of Ipswich's unsafe buildings:
"As well as paying respects to those who passed, it's important for us to raise awareness that these issues are still present across many buildings in Ipswich.
"Some of the headlines when the government announce new funding or new laws, appear to resolve the building safety crisis and the cladding scandal.
"But for us as leaseholders and residents, we know that doesn't fully affect us and doesn't completely change our lives and make our buildings safe.
"It’s taken years so far. Six years since the Grenfell tragedy, and we're still fighting for justice and fighting for safe homes.
"So it's really important that we still raise that awareness, that we're still living in unsafe homes...
"...I've lived through a Grenfell near miss... I've lived in a building described as intolerable in terms of the fire and the structural risks involved at the building.
"So, as well as remembering those who lost their lives, we also need to reflect on how there are thousands of buildings around the country, including nineteen in Ipswich, which could at any point result in a similar style tragedy."
What progress has been made in 6 years?
Alex has been campaigning for St Francis Tower along with other buildings affected by the cladding crisis for safer homes and for the cost of these repairs not to fall to those living in these buildings.
He told us the progress is is too slow and there are still people at risk:
"The initial response to the Grenfell tragedy was to serve high-rise buildings - and that happened with some Francis Tower in Ipswich almost straight away.
"They had surveys done, and they discovered HPL cladding... It took them four years for the work (repairs) to start.
"Still, two years after that point, the work is still ongoing and we have shrink wrap and scaffolding around the building…
"It is really shocking how slow the progress has been even though initially we had that reaction and the comments and the quotes saying 'we're going to learn lessons. We're going to listen to residents fears’.
"We've been campaigning for almost three years now and we've been shouting about our fears and our concerns.
"Yes, some people have listened, but unfortunately not the right people have listened in terms of getting 100% change involved in order for our homes to be made safe."
What does the government say?
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said it is taking steps to ensure buildings are safer.
A DLUHC spokesman said: “The Grenfell Tower tragedy must never be allowed to happen again and our thoughts are with the bereaved families, survivors and residents.
“So far, 45 of the UK’s biggest housebuilders have signed our developer pledge and will contribute £5 billion to fix their unsafe buildings.
“We expect them to work swiftly so people feel safe in their homes, and we will be carefully scrutinising their progress.
“The Building Safety Act brings forward the biggest improvements in building safety for a generation, giving more rights and protections for residents than ever before.”
There will be a vigil at the Cornhill in Ipswich at 6pm tonight (14th June) to commemorate those lost in the Grenfell Tower block fire six years ago.