Hopes renewed for residents to return to St Francis Tower

The Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government has confirmed that the residents of St Francis Tower should be back as of spring 2025. 

Residents were evacuated from their apartments after two major water leaks occurred in July 2023, the first affecting the seventh floor and below, and the second affecting the eighth to thirteenth floor. 

Ever since they have not been allowed back into their flats and have been living in temporary accommodation that has been arranged with the help of property group Inspired Property Management (IPM) and their insurer AXA. 

Two floodings took place at the tower block in July. (Image: CHARLOTTE BOND) Leaseholders and tenants have welcomed the news.

Ross Bonner, who owns four flats on the 10th floor of the tower said: "This is the light at the end of the tunnel for us.

"It has taken a long long time, but it is great that sense has finally prevailed and residents may soon be allowed back into our flat." 

Ross Bonner, right, leads the tower's leaseholder group.  (Image: Ross Bonner) Mr Bonner has been leading a group of leaseholders speaking to Ipswich MP Jack Abbott, and IPM to discuss the issues that they have had and a resolution to be allowed back into their homes.

He said: "Ever since we made the committee the property group has been talking to us a lot more, so we were expecting some positive news like this soon."

Mr Bonner is encouraging other leaseholders to approach him to continue to build the group's strength.

Residents were allowed to retrieve their belongings in March.  (Image: Shikhar Talwar) Fellow resident Danny Fox said: "It has already been a year of living in just temporary housing, and paying rent for the flat in the tower. 

"So I am so happy if finally things are moving forward and we may be invited to get back into the building." 

For James Storer he said he did not completely trust the announcement due to past experience.

He said: "It is completely possible that in April they would call us again and tell us that we have to wait another six months, so I do not trust it as of yet."

Angela Rayner is the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.  (Image: PA) It is understood that the department led by Angela Rayner MP has been working closely to prioritise fixing the damage caused by the flooding in July 2023. 

They say that residents are due to return to the tower in spring, following approval from the Building Safety Regulator.

A few years before the flooding, St Francis Tower had been wrapped in plastic as contractors struggled to remove the potentially dangerous cladding on the building. 

The government department has been working closely with Homes England to discuss cladding issues at the tower. (Image: DHCLG) A spokesperson for the department said that the flooding was not related to the cladding work that was going on at the building at the time and added that additional funding has been awarded to the tower's owner to restart work on the building's cladding issues. 

The Ministry is engaging closely with Homes England to support the applicant in restarting remediation and making the building fire safe.

Meanwhile, Suffolk Constabulary said that they had initially suspected that the flooding was a part of criminal damage, however after investigations the case has been closed as it is deemed a civil matter.