Cardinal Lofts: Ipswich tower block evacuated over fire risk

People have been put in an "unbearable" situation after the top three floors of a fire-risk tower block were evacuated in the late evening, a resident said.

Suffolk County Council asked those living on floors seven to nine to leave Cardinal Lofts in Ipswich on Tuesday.

It said a new report said part of the building, which was deemed a fire risk in 2020, was "unsafe for occupation".

Management company Grey GR apologised and said it was working to resolve the issues "as quickly as possible".

Among those evacuated was Vivak Sharma and his family, including his five-year-old son.

He said it was "shocking" to be told to leave at 22:00 GMT and urged the management company to "get on" with the work required to make the building safe.

"It's been a nightmare for all the leaseholders," he said. "We are very frustrated."

Claire Hamblion, who has lived on one of the lower floors at Cardinal Lofts for nine years, said it was "absolute chaos" as 15 apartments were evacuated.

"People are being asked to leave their homes at at 10 o'clock at night; people have got families here; we don't know what's going to happen next," she said.

"When will people be allowed to get back in their homes again?

"We've got Christmas coming up; there is a cost of living crisis, this is just unbearable for people living here."

She said it had been a "living nightmare" since a report two years ago identified fire risks, and a £300-a-month charge for "waking watch" patrols was introduced to check for fires.

Meanwhile, Alex Dickin, who owns a flat on floor five, which he rents out, said he was "almost lost for words over this sudden evacuation".

He 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."

Following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, a fire safety report the following year identified a "minimal risk" in the Ipswich Waterfront building.

Another assessment in October 2020, however, said "combustible materials" on the outside "provide a route for fire to spread".

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said a new report, sent on Tuesday, highlighted "issues in the upper part of the building that means it is currently unsafe for occupation".

Area manager Toby Gray said it had "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, so it is in the best interest of [those] residents to be temporarily rehoused as a precautionary measure," he said.

"We will continue to work with the management company to find a resolution."

Mr Gray added that residents were given "not much notice" to leave their homes but there was a "fair amount of logistics required to look at how we relocate [those] affected".

A letter sent to residents from Suffolk County Council, which runs the fire service, said a rest centre had been set up at Gainsborough Sports Centre in east Ipswich for anyone without alternative accommodation over the next few days.

Grey GR said specialists from the company undertook a full review of all fire safety issues at Cardinal Lofts and "became aware of a heightened fire safety risk".

A spokesperson said: "We have taken immediate action, notifying the fire department to the latest concerns, and putting in place additional safety protocols.

"These include following the fire authority's instruction to temporarily rehouse residents on the building's top three floors, and establishing a six-person waking watch for the building's lower floors, effective immediately."

The spokesperson said they were arranging appropriate temporary housing for those affected and were "very sorry for the disruption and inconvenience".

"However, resident safety is paramount," the spokesperson added.

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