Residents of Ipswich tower block needing up to £30m of repairs say living there is "biggest mistake"

"The only thing in my life that I would do differently is not touch this with the barge pole"

Author: Jasmine OakPublished 11th Mar 2024

Residents living in a tower block in Ipswich needing up to £30 million pounds worth of repairs to tackle fire safety issues tell us living there is the biggest mistake of their life.

Amie Holdsworth bought a home in The Mill six years ago as an excited first-time buyer.

A few years later she decided to re-mortgage her flat, only to be told it was "worthless" due to the adjoining building having cladding issues: "It's the biggest mistake of my life.

"If I could rewind, the only thing in my life that I would do differently is not touch this with the barge pole."

In case of emergency

Amie tells us that she has been suffering with anxiety because of the situation, and often finds herself thinking of how to escape her building, which only has one entrance: "I'm on the fifth floor - how am I going to get out without dying?"

Not only is Aimee scared and stressed about the fire safety issues the building faces, but she is now having to worry about the cost of the building repairs.

Money issues

Costs to repair structural and fire safety issues on the Ipswich tower block could reach £30 million pounds, according to the Mill's administrators.

The building was was deemed unsafe after cladding was torn off during strong winds more than a decade ago.

In a letter seen by Greatest Hits Radio, administrator RSM UK's told residents that funds were expected to run out in the summer.

There are now concerns that, if a buyer's not found, the development could enter liquidation.

This would leave residents to pay the running costs - which are thought to be around £500,000 a year.

If these fees aren't paid, Amie worries that Suffolk Fire and Rescue will evacuate the building, as they have previously done with other buildings on Ipswich's waterfront: "I am trying to save as much money as possible so that if that does happen, I've got a bit of a safety net."

Amy says she's angry at the whole situation and says that residents "should have been protected by the people that signed (the building) off."

She feels that she and the hundreds of other residents in these buildings have been "failed" and let down.

We have reached out to RSM, who manage the freehold, for comment - they've not responded.

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