Displaced flat residents of an Ipswich tower block will finally be able to access their belongings after seven months but will see items thrown away if not claimed. 

Residents of Ipswich's St Francis Tower have received a letter saying from next week those living between floors eight to 13 can arrange removal of disposal of their items so reinforcement works can begin.

If items are not collected by March 24, the items would be considered abandoned and will be removed. 

Residents have been living away from their homes since last July. 

Tenants and owners alike say they remain disappointed by the lack of communication, investigation and support provided to them by the management. 

Furniture accounts for most of the items left in the flat, however, with no renovation done on the lift residents are expected to carry it down floors on their own. 

Building resident Paul Ager said: "Would have been nice if the lifts could be fixed first as it will be difficult for many of us to get things down the stairs."

Ipswich Star: St Francis Tower was evacuated after a water leak

Other residents meanwhile pointed to how no investigation has taken place on the flooding, and the nature of it is yet unknown. 

The evacuation took place 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. 

Following this residents were evacuated, but not allowed to retrieve their items. 

In an email seen by this paper, the towers management group Inspired Property Management (IPM) wrote to leaseholders between floors eight to thirteen.

The message read: "To facilitate reinforcement works to all floors affected by the floods, it is necessary to arrange removal and disposable of items kept within the flats."

They invited residents to arrange timings between March 11 and 18, and if it is not collected by March 24, the items would be considered abandoned and will be removed. 

Ross Bonner, who owns four flats on the 10th floor of the tower said: "The latest update is just more insult to the residents and owners who have undergone year after year of setbacks and bad service from the freeholder R.G Securities. 

"We've had a changeover In management agents and no information re-laid to us regarding the building condition or schedule of works."

He added how delays have resulted in costly alternative accommodation to be sorted and how he is still unaware of the amount of damage that has taken place to belongings left in the building. 

"It's a complete mess and total disregard is being shown to the residents and owners," Mr Bonner added.

Anger is also directed toward the lack of communication from the tower's management group. 

When the leak took place in July the St Francis Tower was under the remit of Block Management UK, who resigned in the following. 

The contract was then handed to IPM, with whom residents are still left unimpressed. 

Mr Bonner added: "The communication has been terrible, not just this year but going back a number of years and it's gradually got worse since July.

Owners and residents are having to fight to receive even small amounts of information, threatened with being blocked from calling or emailing the offices of the management companies involved.

Mr Bonner said: "It's all totally unacceptable and doesn't offer any assistance or service, leaving us all in limbo."

Meanwhile, another resident said: "It's been like this for years, the building would have a problem, and they would take forever to fix it and not communicate with us at all about it."

The flat is one of a number in Ipswich impacted by cladding.

It has been wrapped in plastic since 2021 with residents spending two years - including a summer heatwave - behind the sheets.

The management has not yet provided the residents with a tentative date on when the building will be back to being functional.

IPM has been contacted for a comment.