St Francis Tower anger as residents can't access belongings

A woman has spoken of her anger at not being able to get her belongings back from her flat after four months of living in hotels.

An Ipswich resident, who wished to remain anonymous, has been living out of different hotels since being evacuated from her flat in St Francis Tower.

Residents left the building at the start of July due to a water leak and flooding, with the building being covered in shrink wrap over cladding issues since May 2021.

Due to living in hotels, they have had limited space to bring personal belongings with them, such as TVs, tv stands, bookshelves and winter clothes.

Over the last four months, she has been told to collect her belongings but has been unable to due to the amount of space she has had.

The woman has recently moved into a flat where she can get her things from the flat, but has found out that they have been moved to storage and will not be accessible until work on the building has been completed.

The tower before it was covered in shrink wrap over cladding issues (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

She said: "I'm just very angry and I think it's not fair.

"I should be given my things back because I now have to spend more money to buy all the things I already have, but I can't access them.

"There has been no understanding about the inconvenience that residents have suffered since the flooding and they are not thinking about what is best for us, only what is best for them.

"I only moved into St Francis Tower in May, less than two months before the flooding. I've lived longer in a hotel room with no kitchen or washing machine than in the flat itself.

"No one knows when the work is going to be completed, I can't imagine within the next five months as I was informed that the flat I now have is available for at least five months and could be extended."

Gill Associates, the company in charge of keeping resident's belongings, have been contacted for comment, as have Block Management UK, the company in charge of the tower.