Ipswich tower block The Mill in Foundry Lane, which is beset with safety issues, bought by property developer John Howard
An Ipswich tower block which has been plagued with cladding and safety woes for more than a decade has been snapped up by a new owner.
Describing it as the biggest challenge of his career thus far, John Howard, who runs a property firm, came into ownership of The Mill, in Foundry Lane, on Friday.
The 23-storey block has suffered from a number of fire and safety issues since 2010, including flammable cladding, which residents felt left them ‘prisoners in their own homes’.
In an interview with SuffolkNews, Mr Howard said people living in the flats had a ‘horrid time of it’ and said a redevelopment project to fix the issues would cost about £30m.
The project would be split into two distinct phases, he revealed.
The first would see the recladding the 215 flats occupied flats, which he said would be a huge undertaking, although all are eligible for a grant.
The second would redevelop the tower, which is attached to DanceEast and contains 80 flats, before they are sold off.
Mr Howard’s company was also in charge of the development of The Winerack apartments, also on the waterfront.
However, he said The Mill project was ‘a fair bit bigger’.
“At the end of the day, the challenges are very similar to other blocks with cladding issues,” Mr Howard said.
“All of it has to be replaced – it’s a massive project. A high-rise building like this needs love and attention.
“They’re very difficult to put right, but we’re confident we can do so.”
In April, administrator RSM UK revealed that Homes England would help fix the cladding woes via a grant.
The Mill was deemed unsafe in 2013 after gale-force winds tore cladding from the building.
Mr Howard said it was difficult to say when work would begin, but estimated workers would be onsite within a year.
He said: “Residents have had enough. We think the entire project will take about two years to complete.”
His team were enthusiastic and confident their expertise would sort out the challenges the project faces.
Mr Howard added: “It’s a very big undertaking and Ipswich Borough Council, residents, Homes England – we all need to pull it together to make it work.”