Falling debris danger from landmark

SCAFFOLDING on one of the most prominent buildings in Ipswich is preventing one section of it falling on people walking underneath.

And there's no sign yet of the work being complete to shore up the north end of the Axa building in Civic Drive.

The scaffolding has been in place for well over a year, and there's no sign of it coming down soon.

In one section, a tree has branched out through the scaffolding!

Paul Moss from Ipswich firm T.H. Moss & Co said he was still waiting to hear from the insurance giant.

"Axa had been talking about repairing that end of the building at the end of the year – but we haven't heard anything.

"The problem is that the tiles at that end of the building are becoming loose and there is a danger that they could fall on people using the underpass below."

The building is actually owned by Ipswich Council which rents it to Axa on a long lease.

However the section where the scaffolding is in place is no longer needed by the insurance company.

Until earlier this year it was sub-leased to power company TXU Energi before it went into administration.

A spokeswoman for Axa said bosses at the company were still considering what to do with that part of the building.

"We are still looking at what future that will have – no decisions on it have been made," she said.

However the company's landlord, whose own Civic Centre headquarters overlooks the scaffolding, is now starting to take an interest in what is happening there.

"We have a strong interest in the building both as the owner of the freehold and because we don't want this kind of permanent scaffolding in the heart of the commercial centre of the town," said a borough council spokesman.

N What do you think should happen to this building? Write in to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or email eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk or visit the forum at www.eveningstar.co.uk