On 15 November 2022, urgent fire prevention measures were enforced at a block of flats in Ipswich in which residents living on the top three floors were asked to leave their homes.
The sudden evacuation – where residents left their flats at 10 o’clock in the evening – came after a new report was received by Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), which detailed a number of fire safety concerns on the upper floors of the Cardinal Lofts block of flats that make it “currently unsafe for occupation”. As a result, SFRS issued a Prohibition Notice for part of the building – affecting only 15 apartments in total – with no impact on the rest of the building.
The area manager for SFRS, Toby Gray, said: “Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service remains committed to ensuring the safety of Cardinal Lofts residents in the event of a fire. As part of ongoing work, we have raised fire concerns and advised how the building’s management company can resolve them.
“This mitigation has not adequately addressed the risks posed to the upper three floors of the property, so it is in the best interest of residents in these apartments to be temporarily rehoused as a precautionary measure. We will continue to work with the management company to find a resolution. All Cardinal Lofts residents are being kept informed of progress.”
Gray admitted that residents were not given much notice about the evacuation plans, but reasoned that there had been a “fair amount of logistics required to look at how we relocate [those] affected”. Unsurprisingly, residents have been expressing their shock and concern. One resident, Alex Dickin, said: "We've known about the fire safety defects at our building for over two years, and it's really confusing as to why we're now in a position where the top three floors are so unsafe."
Initial concerns over the safety of this part of the building emerged several years ago. In 2018, a fire safety report described the building as a “minimum risk”. However, another assessment carried out in October 2022 confirmed the presence of “combustible materials” on the outside of the building, which could "provide a route for fire to spread".
Since then, the building owners, Grey GR, implemented some improvements, including the installation of a new fire alarm and the introduction of ‘waking watch’ patrols at the building. However, the patrol service meant that residents were also required to pay an additional charge of £300 each month.
According to the BBC and ITV, residents received a letter from Suffolk County Council, which has been working closely with Grey GR, SFRS, Ipswich Borough Council, and Suffolk’s Joint Emergency Planning Unit, to explain the need to evacuate their homes. They were also told that a rest centre had been set up at a nearby sports centre in east Ipswich for those who were unable to find alternative accommodation over the next few days.
They were then offered stay at a budget hotel, although it is thought that alternative accommodation is still being found for them. The owners of the building have since apologised for the disruption and inconvenience caused but insist that “resident safety is paramount”.
Principle Estate, the management company for Cardinal Lofts, also sent a letter to residents to explain that contractors have been carrying out surveys on site. But the company has now indicated that residents may not be able to return to their homes until January 2023.