Families asked to leave their flats in an Ipswich tower block could face Christmas away from their homes.
"Precautionary steps" taken by the managing company of Cardinal Lofts, in Foundary Lane, has seen it set up temporary accommodation for evacuated residents until January next year.
Last Tuesday, the residents of 15 flats were asked to evacuate after the fire service issued a fire prohibition order across three floors as it had concerns about the potential fire safety risks.
The letter sent by Principle Estate Management reads: “While we await the outcome of the assessments and continue to try to get you back into your home as quickly as possible, being mindful of the busy time of the year, we have also taken the precautionary decision to extend the provision of alternative accommodation until January 2023.”
One week on Viv Sharma, one of the affected residents, said: “We’re going to be out of our properties over Christmas, which is horrible.
“We’ve got kids, some of them come back from university and they can’t spend Christmas at home.”
Alex Dickin, a resident of Cardinal Lofts and founder of Ipswich Cladiators, said: "One week on we are still filled with anger and frustration.
“Without clarity, we are left to speculate and wonder exactly why our building is half-safe.
“Our freeholder Railpen must be held accountable for their failure to fix fire safety defects already identified.
“Since Tuesday we have been told that further surveys and assessments will need to take place.
“Action is only happening now that Suffolk Fire has made the decision to evacuate the top three floors.”
A spokesman for Grey GR, the managing company, said: “As we work to resolve these issues, we are seeking to minimise the disruption as much as we can.
“We quickly arranged temporary accommodation – initially with a choice of hotel or apartment, and those asked to leave their homes have now been provided with serviced apartments.
“We have put in place a six-person 24h waking watch service for those remaining. We have contractors due on site this week to investigate and resolve the issue and also attend to other internal fire safety works, and we also have independent fire safety experts on site this week.
“We continue to follow the advice of the Fire and Rescue Service and are communicating regularly with them throughout this process.
“We are communicating directly with all leaseholders and have agents on the ground to support residents. We will continue to communicate as further updates become available.”
Ipswich MP Tom Hunt, who met with Lee Rowley, the minister for building safety, said that the minister has been responsive, and the MP is “hopeful” that he will be able to bring forward some concerted government action.
Mr Hunt added: “As of yesterday, we have been told that the Fire Risk Assessment deadline has been pushed back by a week to next Monday, and we will have more information when this is complete.
"I am in contact with Suffolk Fire and Rescue to find out why there has been a delay and to make sure this is completed as soon as possible.
"In the meantime, I have been assured that all the evacuated residents who need it have been given appropriate accommodation – either in a serviced flat or hotel.
"Of course, this is in no way a replacement for their own homes, especially around Christmas, and I’m absolutely determined to see them return as soon as it is safe. "
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