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Grenfell survivors slam ‘shoddy’ refurbishment as leaked report suggests cause of fire spread

Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have slammed the 2016 refurbishment of the tower block as “shoddy and second rate”.

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Picture: Getty
Picture: Getty
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Grenfell survivors slam ‘shoddy’ refurbishment as leaked report suggests cause of fire spread #ukhousing

Responding to the leak of an interim draft report by the Building Research Establishment on the fire, the survivors group Grenfell United issued a statement attacking the refurbishment.

According to the report, provided to the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the fire would not have spread beyond the flat where it started if the building had not been fitted with dangerous cladding, the Evening Standard reported.

According to the Evening Standard, the report highlighted six key causes of the fire’s spread: cavity barriers too small to block the spread of flame; window frames filled with non-fire resistant materials; combustible insulation that spread the fire; flammable cladding; the lack of door closers on front doors to flats; and poor firefighting facilities at the tower.


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Survivors group Grenfell United said in a statement: “It was clear to us the refurbishment was shoddy and second rate. We raised concerns time and time again. We were not just ignored but bullied to keep quiet.

“That a refurbishment could make our homes dangerous and unsafe shows that the contractors put profit before lives. It’s an industry that is broken. It’s also an industry that has been allowed to get away with this behaviour.

“Six people died in a fire at Lakanal House in 2009 and the government failed to act and make changes to regulations that would have stopped a fire like that happening again. Tonight we know people are going to sleep in homes with dangerous cladding on them.”

A spokesperson for the MPS told Inside Housing: “Our aim is to carry out an investigation that has integrity and if it uncovers evidence that any individual or organisation is criminally culpable we want that evidence to be tested through the judicial system.

“As such, we are disappointed that an interim draft report appears to have been leaked and published. To protect the integrity of the investigation the MPS will not confirm specifics of the ongoing investigation.”

A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: “We think the public inquiry and the police investigation are the right places for testing all the evidence as a whole. The council is clear – we have handed over thousands of documents – we are committed to finding the truth.

“We hope full disclosure of all the evidence, tested by the inquiry judge, will deliver the answers to ensure this never happens again.”

Update: at 15.53 on 16.4.18 This story was updated to include a comment from Kensington and Chelsea Council.

The Paper Trail: The Failure of Building Regulations

Read our in-depth investigation into how building regulations have changed over time and how this may have contributed to the Grenfell Tower fire:

Never Again campaign

Never Again campaign

Inside Housing has launched a campaign to improve fire safety following the Grenfell Tower fire

Never Again: campaign asks

Inside Housing is calling for immediate action to implement the learning from the Lakanal House fire, and a commitment to act – without delay – on learning from the Grenfell Tower tragedy as it becomes available.

LANDLORDS

  • Take immediate action to check cladding and external panels on tower blocks and take prompt, appropriate action to remedy any problems
  • Update risk assessments using an appropriate, qualified expert.
  • Commit to renewing assessments annually and after major repair or cladding work is carried out
  • Review and update evacuation policies and ‘stay put’ advice in light of risk assessments, and communicate clearly to residents

GOVERNMENT

  • Provide urgent advice on the installation and upkeep of external insulation
  • Update and clarify building regulations immediately – with a commitment to update if additional learning emerges at a later date from the Grenfell inquiry
  • Fund the retrofitting of sprinkler systems in all tower blocks across the UK (except where there are specific structural reasons not to do so)

We will submit evidence from our research to the Grenfell public inquiry.

The inquiry should look at why opportunities to implement learning that could have prevented the fire were missed, in order to ensure similar opportunities are acted on in the future.

 

READ MORE ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN HERE

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