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Grenfell United ‘disappointed’ as community expert is dropped from inquiry team
Grenfell survivors have reacted with anger to the prime minister’s decision to replace a housing and community expert on the public inquiry panel with an engineer.
Grenfell United, which represents people who lived in and around the Grenfell Tower as well as those who lost loved ones in the fire, said the move “sidelined” survivors and the bereaved.
Boris Johnson wrote to Sir Martin Moore-Bick, chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, on 20 December seeking his consent to replace Nabeel Hamdi, a professor of housing and urban development at Oxford Brookes University’s School of Architecture, with chartered engineer Benita Mehra.
Mr Hamdi, whose expertise includes participatory design and planning, was appointed in May last year following pressure from Grenfell United for the panel to be widened.
But Mr Johnson’s letter said the professor “was unable to proceed with the appointment”.
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He added: “Ms Mehra is a highly experienced engineer with a range of skills and experience directly relevant to the issues that the inquiry will be investigating in phase two of its work.”
Ms Mehra will resign from her current job as director of strategic assets and property at the London Ambulance Service following her appointment to the inquiry panel.
Grenfell United said on Twitter: “This announcement snuck out just before Christmas is hugely disappointing.
“We have lost a panelist with community expertise - replaced with an engineer, which is not what is needed.
“We have yet to get a proper explanation. With just weeks until phase 2 starts, yet again wishes of survivors & bereaved have been sidelined.”
A government spokesperson later told Inside Housing that Ms Mehra “will be an equally great asset to the inquiry”.
Thouria Istephan, a partner and deputy head of technical design at architectural practice Foster + Partners, will also join the inquiry panel for phase two, having been appointed alongside Mr Hamdi in May.
Phase two of the inquiry, which will focus on the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, which included the installation of cladding, is due to commence on 27 January.
The prime minister’s letter to Sir Martin said the government’s formal response to the inquiry’s phase one report will be published before the start of the phase two hearings.
“This will set out, in detail, how we intend to address the recommendations and I will ensure that the appropriate parliamentary time is secured for its full and proper scrutiny,” it said.
The government has said it intends to implement “in full” Sir Martin’s phase one recommendations, which include calls for evacuation plans for all high-rise buildings and an “urgent” inspection of fire doors.
