The fire service has said it has been left with no option but to issue a second prohibition notice as new defects have come to light at Cardinal Lofts.

Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service has made the announcement this afternoon. 

Officers initially issued a prohibition notice on the top three floors of the building in November last year, introducing additional safety measures to allow residents on the other floors to remain.

Last month, the building’s freeholder, Grey GR, advised the evacuation of the entirety of Cardinal Lofts after carrying out an independent risk assessment of the property.

Although Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service supported Grey GR’s decision to safeguard residents, it decided not to issue a prohibition notice then, based on the risk mitigation measures remaining in place for anyone who chose to stay.

The fire service has since received new information that the structural issues at the property are significantly worse than the compartmentation report supplied by Grey GR suggested, which could increase the spread of a fire at the property or hamper evacuation efforts, leaving it with no choice but to issue a second prohibition notice for the whole of Cardinal Lofts.

Toby Gray of Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service said: “Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service will only ever issue a prohibition notice when all alternative options have been exhausted as we appreciate how devastating it is for people to leave their homes.

“In the case of Cardinal Lofts, we have recently learned that the state of the building is worse than previously thought, posing a danger to occupants, and putting our firefighters and the waking watch at risk of serious injury or death in the event of a fire, meaning it would be highly irresponsible for us not to enforce an immediate evacuation of all floors."

Grey GR spokesperson added: “While we understand that this is a distressing time for residents, the prohibition notice issued today by SFRS aligns with the recommendation from Grey GR’s fire safety experts that the building be evacuated to ensure resident safety.

"We ask all remaining residents still residing in Cardinal Lofts to comply with the prohibition notice.

"Our Managing agent is on the ground to help residents in the evacuation and coordinate transportation to the short-term hotel accommodation Grey has secured.

Whilst Cardinal Lofts is unsafe for occupation, the cost of hotel accommodation and apartments will continue to be paid for by Grey. 
 
“Grey is fully committed to remediating Cardinal Lofts and to return residents to a safe home."