The Grenfell Tower inquiry has concluded that the 72 people killed in 2017 were the result of “decades of failure” in both the government and private sector.
On June 14, 2017, the 24-storey Kensington residential block erupted in flames in a tragedy that claimed the lives of 72 people and injured dozens more.
A six-year inquiry into the disaster culminated in a final report published on Wednesday that highlighted gross failures in government and the construction firms linked to the building.
The main focal point of the 1,700-page report was the building’s deadly and flammable cladding, which caused the fire to spread rapidly through the floors.
In Wednesday’s PMQs, he also reiterated his commitment to respond to all of the inquiry’s recommendations and to ensure full accountability for all those involved.
“We will bring the full power of government to bear on this task, because that is the responsibility of service and the duty we owe to the memory of every one of the 72,” he said in PMQs.
The safety of high-rise buildings has been under the microscope since dozens of people lost their lives in the tragic Grenfell Tower blaze seven years ago.
Despite pledges to tackle the burden of remediation work for buildings that contain cladding, progress has been slow.
As of July 2024, government data revealed that 4,630 residential buildings 11 metres or more in height contained unsafe cladding.
Around 1,300 are in the capital, where residents are frustrated at the slow progress in making homes safe. Some residents said they felt “abandoned” by the Government.
Here is what is known about the plans so far:
Grenfell Tower
Steve Parsons / PA
A spotlight was cast on the use of flammable materials in the construction of high-rise buildings following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which killed 72 people.
A lot of buildings in the UK still had flammable cladding, putting residents at risks in cases of fire.
Many leaseholders have since been left facing potentially ruinous bills after discovering that cladding on their homes could be dangerous.
Some have reportedly been hit with costs of more than £100,000 to replace the unsafe materials or pay for so-called “waking watches”, where someone is employed to patrol a building checking for fires.
What action has been taken so far?
In 2021, the Government announced a multibillion-pound package in a bid to ensure no leaseholders in high-rise blocks in England face charges for the removal of cladding.
The measures were intended to protect those who own homes in taller buildings, meaning leaseholders in blocks over 18 metres (59ft) in height could access grants to replace unsafe cladding.
For blocks of between 11 metres and 18 metres (36ft and 59ft), the Government said in February 2021 it would introduce a “long-term, low interest” loan scheme under which “no leaseholder will ever pay more than £50 a month towards the removal of unsafe cladding”.
The following year, Michael Gove, who was Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities from 2022 to 2024, put pressure on developers to cover the expenses of cladding changes. He said the Building Safety Act would protect leaseholders from covering the cost of remediation.
However, in July 2024, government figures revealed that only half of the 4,630 residential buildings in England identified with unsafe cladding had started or completed remediation.
What is the plan going forward?
In August 2024, a non-fatal fire erupted in a Dagenham building undergoing cladding removal. It yet again ignited calls to speed up remediation works across the impacted buildings.
Grenfell United, a group representing bereaved families, said in a statement that the recent fire highlights the “painfully slow progress of remediation across the country and a lack of urgency for building safety as a whole”.
The recent Grenfell Tower report further shines a spotlight on the urgency of the matter, as well as how much work is left to do to protect residents living in dangerous buildings.
In response to the report, Rayner vowed to “work tirelessly” to “deliver a stronger culture of safety”.
The next update on the Government’s remediation efforts is due to be released on September 19, 2024.
