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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.

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

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  • An outdated fire risk assessment that didn't account for the cladding risk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

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Ellisons Solicitors, Ipswich Sports Club and PLMR Genesis

Ellisons' new premises at Connexions on Princes Street, Ipswich

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Established for 260 years, Ellisons is a top 200 UK law firm and one of the region’s oldest, most established and fastest growing firms.
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The PLMR Genesis team

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Ellisons Solicitors, Ipswich Sports Club and PLMR Genesis

Ellisons' new premises at Connexions on Princes Street, Ipswich

Ellisons Solicitors

Established for 260 years, Ellisons is a top 200 UK law firm and one of the region’s oldest, most established and fastest growing firms.
Mark Petchey giving a coaching masterclass at Ipswich Sports Club

Ipswich Sports Club

Ipswich Sports Club is one of Suffolk’s leading independent, competitive racket sports and hockey clubs, with a rich history spanning over a century.
The PLMR Genesis team

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