You are viewing 1 of your 1 free articles
Short on time? Thurday’s housing news in five minutes
A round-up of the top stories this morning from Inside Housing and elsewhere
Top story: Inside Housing’s coverage of the Grenfell Inquiry phase one report
Click here to read Inside Housing’s full Grenfell coverage
Yesterday saw the publication of the much-anticipated Grenfell Inquiry phase one report and Inside Housing was busy poring over the details of the document.
A number of articles looking at the report were published, including two analysis pieces rounding up Sir Martin Moore-Bick’s conclusions from the fire and his key recommendations.
In his conclusions, which can be read here, Sir Martin outlines how the fire started, why it spread so quickly, how the building’s compartmentation failed, and the actions of the London Fire Brigade, the emergency services, Kensington and Chelsea Council, and Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO).
His recommendations, which can be found here, will have wide-reaching ramifications for the social housing sector, with the inquiry chair calling for all high-rise buildings across the country to have their own evacuation plans.
The big news stories from the report saw Sir Martin criticise the London Fire Brigade for the stay put policy becoming an “article of faith” within the organisation and confirm that the aluminium composite material on the building was to blame for the rapid fire spread.
Robert Black, former chief executive of KCTMO, was also singled out for severe criticism by Sir Martin, who described Mr Black’s role as “passive” and leadership as “ineffective” throughout the fire.
We also have a piece on the Grenfell Commons debate that happened late yesterday afternoon, which saw housing secretary Robert Jenrick commit to implementing all of Sir Martin’s recommendations “without delay”.
Council breached Home Standard over fire safety failure at 17-storey tower block
Click here to read the full story
Elsewhere, the biggest story for the sector today is the news that Runnymede Council is the latest local authority to breach the regulator’s Home Standard.
The council was found to have caused a “risk of serious detriment” to its residents after it failed to complete “urgent” remedial action to do with fire safety on two of its properties, including a 17-storey tower block.
The news of the council’s breach is the latest in a line of local authorities that have breached the Home Standard, including Gateshead Council, Thanet, Dover, Canterbury, and Folkestone & Hythe councils, which have all breached the standard this year.
In May, the regulator wrote to all councils to warn them about breaching the Home Standard after two councils were found to be in breach.
Lunchtime long read 31/10/19
The Grenfell Inquiry put a lot of focus on the stay put policy for high-rise buildings and specifically what Sir Martin Moore-Bick saw as the policy becoming an “article of faith” within the London Fire Brigade as the fire ensued. But where did the policy come from, how has it developed, and is it still sensible in today’s current climate?
Peter Apps, deputy editor at Inside Housing, takes a deep-dive into the history of the policy and future direction of how it may work moving forward.
Quote of the morning 31/10/19
In his leader this week, Martin Hilditch, editor at Inside Housing, reflects on the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and what it means for housing providers across the country.
In the piece, Mr Hilditch concludes that the report should “challenge the housing sector to think again when it comes to fire safety”. The next phase, he writes, must challenge the establishment rules that underpinned the whole sorry system.
In the papers 31/10/19
Predictably, the national newspapers this morning are awash with content looking in detail at the Grenfell Inquiry report.
The Guardian speaks to survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire who said they feel “vindicated” by the inquiry’s findings. They welcomed official criticism of the London Fire Brigade to carry out more effective rescues and called for the London fire commissioner to consider her position.
Elsewhere, in The Independent, a new report has found that almost 700,000 households across the country are struggling to pay their water bills.
The report by the Consumer Council for Water found that 28% of people received specialised discounts from water companies for customers in financial difficulties, but it was found that this was still not enough for hundreds of thousands struggling to afford bills.
Local news 31/10/19
Place North West reveals that Rochdale Council has revealed major plans to regenerate the site around the town’s railway station, with thousands of homes planned as part of the masterplan.
The Northamptonshire Telegraph reports on a row between a local Corby councillor and developer Urban & Civic after the Labour-led council decided to reject plans to reduce the number of social homes in the town.