Firm behind a luxury Lincoln apartment building where residents were urged to leave also involved prominent site deemed too risky to use

The company behind a luxury apartment building where all 51 residents have been urged to leave was also involved with another prominent building which was deemed too risky to use.

A prohibition notice was served on One The Brayford, on the Lincoln waterfront recently.

Serious concerns were identified with the fire alarm system and the combustible external cladding, with inspectors warning a fire would likely have spread too quickly for residents to escape.

Jackson & Jackson Development was behind the £15 million plans to refurbish the office buildings into 89 luxury apartments and retail space.

The Lincoln firm was also the developer for the Gateway student building on Ruston Way, which was emptied due to fire safety risks.

Around 500 University of Lincoln students were forced to leave in October 2022.

A fire safety assessment flagged numerous issues, including improvements needed to stop fires in stairwells.

The University of Lincoln, which leased the building from a private landlord, emailed students at the time to say: “Student safety is our utmost priority and, while other mitigation measures can manage fire safety risks in the interim, having consulted with Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, we have concluded it is in the best interests of our students to vacate the building while we liaise with the building owner to make the necessary improvements.”

It was expected that the repairs would take place in time for the 2023/24 academic year, however the building still hasn’t reopened to students.

Mapletree, the current landlord, said recently it hoped the building would be back in use by September 2025.

A total of 36 households from One The Brayford have been given emergency housing by the City of Lincoln Council.

Jackson & Jackson Developments now goes by Rissington Property Limited, according to Companies House.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service have been unable to reach the firm for comment.

Dan Moss, area manager at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, issued a statement on One The Brayford.

He said: “We appreciate that this is a worrying time for those living and staying in these flats, but our primary concern is always the safety of the public.

“Once we understood the extent of the fire risks at One The Brayford, we were left with no option but to advise individuals of the risks, and recommend they leave while we work with the building owners to make sure it is fully safe.

“We are working hard to do that as quickly as possible and will make sure we keep residents and guests updated on progress.”