Residents evacuated from the top three floors of Cardinal Lofts in Ipswich due to fire safety concerns have been told they may not return until January 2023. The evacuation occurred last Tuesday after a new report deemed 15 apartments on the upper floors unsafe for occupation.
Vivak Sharma, a 56-year-old resident of 14 years, described the situation as a 'big, heart-wrenching thing'. He lives with his wife and five-year-old son, with three other children due to return at Christmas. Sharma also owns four other apartments in the block, which he rents out, and said his tenants were initially relocated to Gainsborough Sports Hall before being moved to a budget hotel.
A letter from management company Principle Estate stated that contractors are conducting surveys and that alternative accommodation has been extended until January as a precaution. The letter said: 'While we hope things will not take this long, we don't want to have to ask you to move again in the meantime.'
Grey GR, the building's owner owned by Railpen, apologised for the disruption and said it had arranged serviced apartments for evacuated residents and a 24-hour waking watch service for those remaining. A spokesperson said the company is following fire service advice and communicating with leaseholders.
The fire risk was identified in an October 2020 assessment following the Grenfell Tower fire, which found combustible materials on the building's exterior. A new report on 15 November highlighted issues making the upper floors unsafe. Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said the management company and Ipswich Borough Council are responsible for remedial work.
