No residents of Telford Court will have to move out of the district if the high-rise is demolished, St Albans council has promised.

There are 45 tenanted properties in the tower block and 15 in the surrounding maisonettes, plus a further eight leasehold properties across the site.

Should SADC's housing and inclusion committee decided to decommission the building, it would be emptied by March 2024.

Residents will be invited to bid for new homes elsewhere in the district as soon as a final decision is made.

One of the available options is for tenants to move to the new development at CCOS South, which will include 93 flats - including 33 for social rent - and new commercial floor space on the former police station and NHS site in Victoria Street.

In a statement to the Herts Advertiser, a SADC spokesperson confirmed: "No residents will have to move out of the district. Residents can take their personal circumstances into account when considering which new home to bid on."

Approximately £734,000 has recently been spent on specialist surveys, new fire rated doors, fire alarms, fire retardant paint and other measures as the council still has an ongoing duty of care to residents.

Should demolition be agreed, the costs of decommissioning individual flats as they become empty, including relocation allowances and the purchase of leasehold properties, will add up to a total bill of around £4m.

Initial findings suggest remedial works to bring the building up to safety requirements would be so extensive and costly that they are not viable.

The building would have to be stripped back its bare shell, meaning all residents would have to move out and be rehomed in order that a full refit could take place.

SADC and leaseholders - who would carry part of the cost - would then be left with a building with an outdated design and limited life.

But should the decision be taken to replace Telford Court, new housing would be built in its place following further consultation.