Skip to main contentEnter
Join 8,080+ people who care about this town
Ipswich.co.uk logoSupport our work
News

Ipswich property firm fined £60,000 over fire safety breaches

An Ipswich property management company and its director have been sentenced for breaching fire safety regulations at an apartment block with dangerous cladding.

Home from Home Property Management Ltd and director Edward Ottley were found guilty of eight offences relating to fire safety breaches at flats on Wolsey Street in Ipswich.

Photo of the flats on Wolsey Street
When SFRS officers inspected the flats on Wolsey Street in 2019, they found multiple safety issues remained unaddressed(Oliver Rouane-WilliamsSFRS)

At Ipswich Crown Court, the company was fined £60,000 while Ottley, 62, received a 10-month suspended prison sentence and 120 hours of unpaid work. They must also pay £49,500 in costs to Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

The court heard that in 2017, it was discovered the building had aluminium composite cladding similar to that involved in the Grenfell Tower fire.

However, Home from Home provided inaccurate information about the cladding's risk level to a fire risk assessor.

When SFRS officers inspected in 2019, they found multiple safety issues remained unaddressed, including:

  • An outdated fire risk assessment that didn't account for the cladding risk

  • Problems with escape routes and fire alarms

  • Residents not properly informed about evacuation procedures

Councillor Steve Wiles of Suffolk County Council said, "The safety and wellbeing of the public is paramount, and when the actions of companies such as Home from Home undermine that it is only right that they are held to account."

SFRS said the case should send a "clear message" about the importance of fire safety compliance.

The company has appointed a new assessor and is working to remove the cladding.

Home from Home Property Management was contacted for comment but did not respond by the time of publication.

You can read it for free thanks to the generous support of Kingsfleet and Ipswich Sports Club

Despite a lack of promotion, the big reveal drew a good crowd of passersby

We're regenerating Ipswich – but we can't do it without you!

People tell us every day that our work matters – that it's making Ipswich better; that it's needed. But our work costs money, and unlike the Ipswich Star, we're not funded by national advertisers or owned by corporate US overlords. For just £4.75 a month, you can help fund our mission to restore pride of place and accelerate the much-needed regeneration of the town we call home.
Become a member →

In other news...

News

DanceEast throws open its doors for free day this Sunday

Ipswich's DanceEast is inviting everyone to a free Open House event at Jerwood DanceHouse this Sunday, 8 March, featuring taster classes, live performances, and building tours from 10:00 to 15:00.
by
Continue reading →
News

Greens press council over Port One wildlife threat

The former quarry on the edge of Great Blakenham has seen several failed schemes over the past 20 years. Now another is under consideration – one that the Suffolk Wildlife Trust warns could permanently alter some of Suffolk's most important wildlife habitats.
by
Continue reading →
News

Abuse of lollipop officers prompts Suffolk road safety crackdown

A new campaign reminding motorists of their legal duty to stop for school crossing patrol officers has launched across Suffolk, following a series of incidents in which patrol officers were verbally abused.
by
Continue reading →
News

All About Hearing invests in purpose-built Kesgrave clinic

After years of operating from satellite locations across Suffolk, independent audiologists All About Hearing have opened their first permanent base in Kesgrave, investing more than £75,000 in their next phase of growth. The purpose-built facility marks a significant step in the business's ambition to raise standards in hearing care across the county.
by
Continue reading →
News

New 420-pupil primary school approved for Henley Gate

A new two-storey primary school has been given the final go-ahead in North Ipswich, as part of the growing Henley Gate Neighbourhood development.
byand
Continue reading →
News

Ipswich children's hospice expansion gets under way

Construction has started on a significant expansion of The Treehouse, East Anglia's Children's Hospices' (EACH) site in Ipswich, after a 'spade-in-the-ground' celebration was held on Tuesday, 3 March to mark the official start of works.
by
Continue reading →
Load more content
Our journalism is free thanks to
Our journalism is free thanks to
Want our best content delivered to your inbox every Friday?

Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter?

If you haven’t, you really should. You’ll get our best content delivered to your inbox every Friday afternoon, just in time for the weekend. You can unsubscribe at any time, although 99.7% of people don’t.

  • Lee Walker
  • Joe Bailey of Brighten the Corners
  • Mark Hubert
8,080+ people are already loving it