Fire-ravaged tower Lakanal House will be reopened
A south London tower block in which six people died in a fire a year ago will be brought back into use.
Ian Wingfield, cabinet member for housing at Southwark Council, wants to see 98-flat Lakanal House re-occupied. But he believes it could take two years for the police investigation and any following court case to conclude and another two years for the inquest to finish.
Substantial work would then be needed to bring the 14-storey block up to a standard to make it safe to move tenants back in.
Police investigations into the tragedy are still ongoing and there is no official indication when an inquest will be held.
Mr Wingfield said: ‘I feel frustrated. Obviously, we are all keen for the investigations to finish as quickly as possible. We have got more than enough people waiting to move into properties.
‘We can’t make the decision to renovate or take it down until the legal processes have been gone through.
‘From my point of view it’s a sizeable block and it would be a great gap in our overall housing stock [if it was knocked down].’
John McGrath, chair of the Sceaux Gardens Tenants’ and Residents’ Association, who is in close contact with the families from Lakanal House, said: ‘They are getting on with their lives but their main concern is how the fire spread. The investigation is so slow. They are bitter it should take so long.’
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