Ipswich tower block residents face another summer behind plastic

Work to strip the flammable cladding from the 17-storey St Francis Tower began in August 2018

People living in a tower block of flats shrouded in plastic have been told the work would continue for more than another six months, a landlord said.

Work to strip the flammable cladding from the 17-storey St Francis Tower began in August 2018.

Ross Bonner, who rents out four flats, said for residents to be told they faced another summer behind plastic was "another setback".

The management company for the building has been approached for comment.

Cladding was stripped from the tower in work costing £2.4m following a safety report in the wake of the Grenfell disaster.

Back in 2021, residents were told the work would be completed by 2022.

Ross Bonner, who rents out four flats, said for residents to be told they faced another summer behind plastic was "another setback"

Mr Bonner said residents had been told it would now continue until November.

"It's more delays on top of delays," he said.

"It's another summer of people living in shrink-wrap in a building where the living conditions have just been decimated."

Ipswich Cladiators, which campaigns on the behalf of residents of flats with fire safety risks, said the lower eight floors of the tower were having the wrapping replaced with netting.