Ipswich Tower Residents Anticipated to Return Home in Spring 2025

The government has announced that residents of an unsafe high-rise building are anticipated to move back into their homes in the spring. Efforts to replace potentially hazardous cladding at St Francis Tower in Ipswich commenced in 2018. Residents were evacuated from the building in 2023 following flooding incidents. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government confirmed it has allocated an additional £3.9m in funding to assist in completing the necessary remedial works. A government spokesperson stated, “More than seven years after the Grenfell Tower fire, the pace of remediation to make homes safe has been far too slow.” The spokesperson further added, “We have ramped up work with local authorities, fire and rescue services and developers to speed up remediation and we will set out a remediation acceleration plan soon.” Initially, after the evacuation, individuals were informed they could return within a few weeks; however, this timeframe was extended, and no definitive schedule was established. The government reported that an insurance company has been providing temporary accommodation for the residents. Ross Bonner, who owns four flats in the building, described the news as a “relief,” noting that people’s lives had been “turned upside down.” He expressed his belief that repairs for the water damage only began in the last month and that the insurance company was awaiting the repair of the lifts. Mr. Bonner suggested it was more probable that residents would commence moving back into their flats during the summer. Jack Abbott, the Labour MP for Ipswich, commented that residents “deserve this good news after years of misery.” The BBC sought a comment from Pier Management, the building’s manager. Updates on Suffolk news are available through BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC does not assume responsibility for the content of external sites and provides information regarding its approach to external linking.