Seven years have passed since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, which claimed the lives of 72 people.

Despite this horror, the building safety crisis continues, with the pace of remediation crawling at a snail’s pace, and thousands of people across the country being left in limbo. 

The limited action that was taken by the previous Conservative government on this issue was too indecisive and too piecemeal, and we have seen the impact of this inertia here in Ipswich. 

St Francis Tower has been covered in wrapping since 2018, with promises that the work would be completed by 2022. Yet, not only is work still ongoing, residents have since been evacuated.

Cardinal Lofts was partially evacuated in November 2022, and then fully and permanently evacuated in February 2023 because of safety concerns.

Opposite this building is the Mill, where residents have been awaiting good news after months of uncertainty. With John Howard - a developer who completed the Winerack construction just a little further along the Waterfront - taking ownership, there is a hope for a positive resolution.

Yet, the cost and complexity of this redevelopment should not be underestimated. There is still a long road ahead and I stand ready to support the Mill’s residents, and Mr Howard, in finding the solutions needed to ensure the safety of this building.

Earlier this week, I wrote to the Government about yet another affected building in Ipswich - Churchmans House, a neighbour of the football club on Portman Road.

Fire risks at Churchmans House were identified last summer, with residents understandably concerned about their futures, given the other examples we have seen across the town over the past few years.

Those residents at Churchmans House have recently submitted a planning application to replace the unsafe cladding on the external walls, as well as a funding application for internal fire safety work.

The residents at Churchmans House are all leaseholders, who are split between the Building Safety Act’s three categories of ‘protected’, ‘capped’, and ‘non-qualifying’.

Following this, I wrote to the Minister for Building Safety and Homelessness, Rushanara Ali, to encourage her Department to approve full funding for remedial action or, at the very least, guarantee that the cost for what is undoubtedly urgent and necessary remedial action does not fall on the leaseholders.

Given there is no solvent developer, it must be ensured that those responsible for the building safety crisis are the ones who pay to fix it.

A failure to resolve this issue could be catastrophic for a number of my constituents. Cardinal Lofts was built by the same developer as Churchmans House and people there were evacuated.

We cannot let the situation similarly deteriorate for the residents of Churchmans House.

I am pleased that the new Labour government has promised to accelerate the pace of remediation for leasehold properties, pledged to improve building safety, including by regulation, and will review how to better protect leaseholders from costs.

The Labour Party has also committed to bring the leasehold system to an end, and to enact the Law Commission proposals on leaseholder enfranchisement, such as the right to manage and commonhold.

Those who are responsible for the building safety crisis should be the ones paying to fix it. It should never come down to leaseholders to fork out thousands on additional fees, or building remediation.

I will work with the Labour government to deliver on their ambitious promises regarding building safety and reform of the leasehold system, and I will continue to work to support local residents caught up in this scandal through no fault of their own.