Ipswich Cardinal Lofts flats have 17 major defects, report reveals, as residents express their shock

The scale of issues at a block of flats in Ipswich which were evacuated for fire safety reasons have been revealed.

A list of 17 defects at Cardinal Lofts, on the waterfront, has been released by the complex’s freeholder, Grey GR.

These included the presence of combustible insulation and cladding on the outside of the building, a lack of fire-breaks in outside walls, water leaks and the lack of a sprinkler system.

Alex Dickin, from Ipswich Cladiators, said the transparency from the freeholder was refreshing – but also felt the ‘vast scale’ of the defects in the building was shocking.

Mr Dickin said that back in 2020, when safety concerns first started to be raised, they thought the issue was just with cladding on the outside of the building.

“We were absolutely not expecting this many issues with the building,” he said.

He said they were appreciative that Railpen, the building’s owners, had started open communications, but felt it was frustrating that it took this long for the issues to come to light.

“If we’d had this information in 2020, it would have made residents’ lives easier,” he said.

“These issues have allowed us to paint a true picture of the danger at Cardinal Lofts, and we’re now convinced we were living under a near-miss to an incident like the Grenfell tragedy since the building was constructed.

“If there was a fire it could have been catastrophic.”

Some of the major defects with the building are:

• Combustible insulation and cladding

• A lack of fire-breaks

• A lack of a sprinkler system

• Single-access staircase to top floors

• ‘Significant’ void areas for fire and smoke

• Combustible wooden balconies

• Water leaks

• Non-compliant fire doors

• No smoke ventilation

• Lack of partitioning on the inside of the building

Cardinal Lofts was first evacuated in November last year. A second prohibition order was placed in February this year, although some residents remained.

SuffolkNews spoke with two residents – a flat owner, who expressed his fears over the building’s safety, and a landlord, who said he struggled to survive – following the evacuations.

Other defects with the building included combustible wooden balconies, unprotected timber flooring, and void areas for smoke and fire to build.

In a letter sent to residents on June 2 by Principle Estate Management, which had been conducting investigations into the complex, the firm said it was ‘clear the building suffered from a significant number of issues’.

It also considered offering claims for landlords who lost rent following the building’s evacuation.

In a letter dated June 23, the firm said it ‘expects to have a clearer understanding within the next few weeks’ and will be in touch with residents.

A spokeman from Grey GR said these issues were not new, and were caused during the development of the building.

He added: “These concerns have been identified through our ongoing intrusive investigations conducted at the property, which is a necessary and crucial step prior to remedial works progressing.

“We wanted to provide leaseholders with a clear outline of the different aspects we will be addressing throughout the property.

“The remediation process is complex but we continue to work towards ensuring residents are able to return to safer homes as quickly as possible.”

Mr Dickin said residents could see two courses of action in the future.

The first was that the building would need significant work done to address the issues. The second would be the building would be declared unsafe and it would have to be demolished.

“The sooner Railpen come to a decision, the sooner we can plan our lives going forward,” he said.

“Money will play a role in their decision process. If we know they’re going to fix the building, we can plan around it with things such as mortgages. If they demolish it, it also gives us closure, so we can look to the future, and where we’re going to live next.”

However, he also wished for answers from Ipswich Borough Council, who he said signed the building off as safe.

Mr Dickin said: “If you bought a car with 17 defects, you’d take it back to the garage and demand answers.

“We need some sort of review to prevent future incidents such as this. What we’ve lived through is something we wouldn’t wish on anyone, and do not want future buildings to be built with similar defects.”

Ipswich Borough Council has been approached for comment.