Cardinal Lofts: Fire service anger at flats report delay

The top three floors of Cardinal Lofts were evacuated after Suffolk Fire and Rescue deemed them a fire safety risk

The owners of flats which had to be evacuated at short notice last month have been criticised over delays in producing a safety report.

Residents living on the top floors of Cardinal Lofts in Ipswich had to vacate quickly amid concerns over fire risks.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) said they were "frustrated" the report was now more than two weeks late.

The block's freeholders Grey GR said it was due "imminently".

The building's management company had written to residents saying the assessment had been completed on 1 December and would be available "over the coming days".

Residents described "absolute chaos" as 15 apartments were vacated after the fire service asked them to leave their homes at 22:00 GMT on 15 November.

The service said it was acting on a new report which said part of the building - deemed a fire risk in 2020 - was "unsafe for occupation".

It asked Grey GR for a revised fire risk assessment (FRA) and was told it would be ready by 21 November but it is yet to be received.

A spokesman said: "It is frustrating for everyone involved that the responsible persons for Cardinal Lofts have not been able to produce the FRA yet, despite our advice that this should be a priority.

"We will continue to ask that the FRA is provided as a matter of urgency to enable us to work with the responsible persons and ensure that they implement any recommended control measures as soon as possible."

'No explanation'

Notices were sent to residents when the top floors of the block were evacuated

One of the leaseholders of the flats, Alex Dickin, told the BBC he shared the frustration over the delay.

He said: "There couldn't be a greater urgency with some devastated residents forced to spend Christmas away from home and the rest of the building are only able to remain at home because costly 24/7 fire patrols are in place.

"Our managing agent, Principle Estate Management, told us that a new FRA took place last week. However, results have not been shared with either the fire service or residents of Cardinal Lofts yet.

"There's been no explanation for the delays, despite promises that those responsible will endeavour to provide updates and work at pace. The results of the new FRA are crucial in determining exactly what needs to be fixed and how long it could take."

Principle Estate Management referred the BBC's inquiries to Grey GR.

In its letter to residents, the company said all but one of the evacuated families were now in serviced apartments, with the other remaining at a hotel.

The issue which led to the evacuation related to an unspecified defect with the building's automatic opening vents, which would release smoke in the event of a fire.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service then requested a revised fire safety assessment from the freeholders.

'Combustible materials'

Alex Dickin has been campaigning for leaseholders facing huge bills for flats with fire safety risks

Cardinal Lofts is one of several buildings in Ipswich that were identified as being unsafe following the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017.

A previous safety report identified "combustible materials" in cladding surrounding the block, which is located on the town's waterfront.

A letter to residents dated 8 January 2021 informed residents that their service charge would be increased and would include "remedial" works to the vents.

Grey GR is owned by Railpen, the pension fund for railways workers.

In a statement, it said: "We have provided SFRS with regular updates on the timeline for fire risk assessments (FRAs) throughout this period.

"The original FRA was due to be completed on 28 November but due to a medical emergency the assessor could no longer attend.

"A new date of 1 December was set with a new assessor and SFRS were kept updated on this. The updated FRA has now been completed and we are awaiting the results, which are expected imminently.

"Whilst awaiting the results of the FRA, our project team has been working with surveyors and contractors to plan for the works we'll need to undertake.

"These plans, and expected timelines, will be finalised once we have received the outcome of the FRA.

"From this point we will undertake the required works as soon as possible."