Ipswich: Meeting over tower block beset with safety issues

Cladding and structural safety issues have been found at the tower block in Ipswich

A meeting is to be held to help leaseholders in the tallest building in Suffolk that has been beset by structural and fire safety issues.

The Mill, on the waterfront in Ipswich, was deemed unsafe after gale force winds in 2013 tore cladding away, with repairs yet to be carried out.

The developer went into administration in 2010 and the freehold was taken on by RSM UK.

Tom Hunt will meet leaseholders later at the University of Suffolk.

Some 249 owners of flats alongside the tower block are unable to sell due to repair works not being carried out.

Fire hazards identified following the Grenfell Tower disaster also require fixing.

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RSM UK said £15m received in a settlement over the torn-away cladding had been used to pay creditors, the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), on behalf of the building's freeholder.

A reserve fund for some fire safety measures and insurance costs had been secured, but was likely run out in early 2024, RSM UK said.

It added, a lack of further cash meant the process of moving the development into liquidation would begin.

Mr Hunt described the situation facing owners as "stark".

He said he arranged the meeting with Mill "residents, leaseholders or interested parties" to hear concerns that he could raise with the "relevant authorities".

Tenants and leaseholders have raised concerns about safety

Last month, a Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said it was working with administrators, Ipswich Borough Council and Homes England to find a "long-term solution".

The council and Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service have deemed the building safe for current usage but it is being kept under review, the government spokesperson added.

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