Council tax refunds will be issued to those forced to leave their homes at an Ipswich flat block, but some residents have suggested the reimbursement should go back 15 years. 

Cardinal Lofts residents were asked to leave their flats after the issuing of two prohibition notices, one in November and a second in March, over safety concerns.

Ipswich Borough Council has confirmed residents will receive the reimbursement from each prohibition notice.

This means that the residents of the top three floors who were evacuated in November will get payback for those months while residents who left their homes in March will get a month's worth of refund. 

Some residents feel more could be done after a document showed an area building control surveyor from Ipswich Borough Council signed off a certificate back in 2010 following an inspection of the building.

Ipswich Borough Council said at the time it was not appropriate to comment due to an ongoing investigation.

Alex Dickin, a resident of Cardinal Lofts and the founder of Ipswich Cladiators, said: "Because Ipswich Borough Council signed off the building as safe when they shouldn't have, our argument is why the refund isn’t going back to the point when Cardinal Lofts was constructed." 

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Ipswich Star: Alex Dickin lives in Cardinal Lofts and is the founder of Ipswich Cladiators, Charlotte BondAlex Dickin lives in Cardinal Lofts and is the founder of Ipswich Cladiators, Charlotte Bond (Image: Charlotte Bond)

"Why have we been paying council tax all those years on a building that should have been uninhabitable and not signed off safe? 

"Every issue that's been discovered was there 15 years ago. It's not like the building has had new work conducted or it hasn't been maintained properly. All those issues were originally there." 

Resident Tony Fulcher, said that he will be "taking the action further", seeking reimbursement for his council tax from the last 15 years over the council "wrongly" commissioning the building.

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Ipswich Star: Cardinal Lofts in Ipswich, NewsquestCardinal Lofts in Ipswich, Newsquest (Image: Newsquest)

Residents said that the communication with the freeholder Railpen has improved, and they are now getting "more realistic and honest response", however, no timeline of works has been provided yet. 

An Ipswich Borough Council spokesperson said: “Where the council has been advised the resident has vacated the premises, an exemption from council tax is being applied from the date of the prohibition notice.

"Where this creates an overpayment of council tax, a refund will be issued.

"In addition, as a gesture of goodwill, council tax will not be charged from the date when residents moved to alternative accommodation.

"This was arranged by the building owner 21 days prior to the prohibition notice being served.”