Grenfell.............two years on.

[HelenaDove]

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/11/how-grenfell-survivors-came-together-to-change-britain?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

How Grenfell survivors came together and how Britain failed them.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2019/06/two-years-after-grenfell-why-are-social-tenants-still-waiting-their

" Two years after Grenfell, why are social tenants still waiting for their regulator?

The official inquiry into Grenfell is ongoing, but we don’t need to wait to see the problems that exist in the regulation of social housing.

This week marks the second anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire, which claimed the lives of 72 people, including 18 children, and irrevocably changed the lives of many more. But two years on we haven’t seen the changes needed to ensure that all social housing tenants can be guaranteed safety and security in their homes.

We know that, well before disaster struck, Grenfell residents voiced concerns about fire safety and other maintenance problems time and time again. What’s more, it’s clear that Grenfell tenants are not alone in having concerns about their safety and well-being and not knowing to whom they can turn.

Shelter have today released figures showing over half (56 per cent) of all social renters in England have experienced a problem with their home in the last three years – including electrical hazards, gas leaks and faulty lifts. Among those with a problem, 10 per cent had to report the same problem more than ten times. Almost three-quarters of social renters have never heard of the current regulator.

The official inquiry into Grenfell is still ongoing, but we don’t need to wait for it to report to see the problems that exist in the regulation of social housing and the obvious solutions. As part of my work for Shelter’s Social Housing Commission, we backed the call for a tough, new consumer regulator. Social tenants need an organisation that focuses solely on their protection, by carrying out regular inspections and responding to the concerns of tenant groups before problems put them at risk.

The existing Regulator of Social Housing mainly oversees the financial viability of social housing, including whether it’s value for money. This regulator provides no guarantees for the protection of tenants. The current system for enforcing standards in social housing plainly isn’t working. It’s that simple. Tinkering around the edges or “beefing up” what already exists just won’t be enough.

There is no solution to the broken housing market that doesn’t include massive investment in social housing. It has the potential to provide secure, genuinely affordable homes to the millions of people who desperately need them. That is why the Commission, which involved people across the political spectrum, called for 3.1 million social homes to be built over the next 20 years.

If we want to grow the numbers of people who call social housing their home, then we need to make sure these homes are well regulated, so that they’re decent and well managed. We need to make sure tenants are listened to and protected no matter what. We need to ensure that they can feel safe in their homes and, if they don’t, then they can ask a tough regulator to take action on their behalf.

Strengthening the regulation of consumer standards in social housing has been on the government’s agenda since the disaster, but we need to see more action and real change. A disaster of this scale demands real urgent change, as a clear signal that the government is serious about tenant health and safety. Implementing a new regulator will be no mean feat, but it’s a job that must be done.

Grenfell was a tragic and appalling wake-up call about the value we place on social housing and the people that live in it. It’s time to act"

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/10/grenfell-tower-brokenshire-survivors-anger-delays?fbclid=IwAR3VyfL7R8IIQqXOVkiHFExLANd6Ar8YLTtw3pfhmsG0V9UwvQn-QCGWsxQ

The housing secretary, James Brokenshire, has been angrily confronted by a Grenfell Tower survivor and accused of failing to do enough to prevent a repeat disaster.

The day after a fire raged through balconies at a housing block in Barking, Willie Thompson, who escaped the Grenfell disaster two years ago, warned Brokenshire that he would be held responsible if it happened again and said: “There’s another Grenfell in the post and it is going to land on your door.”

“You guys are doing almost nothing,” Thompson told the minister responsible for building safety at an event in parliament to mark the second anniversary of the fire that claimed 72 lives. “Does it take another Grenfell?”

“No,” Brokenshire said, who admitted the responsibility “weighs heavily on me” and later described the Barking fire as “deeply concerning”. “It takes a lot longer than we would have wanted it to. I accept your challenge on how we speed this up

“But I bet you are not losing any sleep at night,” Thompson, a father of two, angrily replied. “Parents are afraid their children will die … One of my best friends in the world was flashing his light [from his flat in Grenfell]. That man never came out. Take that image to bed with you.” Thompson then walked away.

The highly charged exchange came as survivors and the bereaved expressed frustration at the pace of changes to the culture over housing. On Sunday the Guardian revealed that a month before the fire at Barking Riverside, residents asked Bellway, the builder, to carry out fire safety checks, but were told there was nothing to worry about.

Ed Daffarn, who also escaped from Grenfell, told the reception attended by the home secretary, Sajid Javid, Conservative leadership hopeful Andrea Leadsom and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn: “Just yesterday a fire ripped across flats in Barking. It is a miracle no one was harmed and it is distressing to us to hear residents were raising safety concerns before the fire, just like we were.

“In the days after the fire, the government promised that no stone would be left unturned in addressing the causes of the fire, ensuring that such a tragedy could never happen again. The survivors and the bereaved were promised justice and we were promised change. However, two years on, the reality is that little has changed and justice seems as far away as ever.

Daffarn cited the amount of unsafe cladding still on hundreds of towers across the country, the failure to reform regulation of social housing, and repeated delays to the public inquiry, saying: “Justice delayed is justice denied.”

A group of survivors and bereaved are set to take legal action in US court against companies involved in making the cladding materials on Grenfell, including the US industrial giant Arconic, which made the rainscreen panels, and Celotex, which made the insulation. Celotex said it learned about the legal action on Friday and was “considering its position”. Arconic declined to comment.

Karim Mussilhy, whose uncle died in the fire, told MPs and ministers that survivors and the bereaved had to work “ridiculously hard just to get some of your attention, let alone have things change”.

“We shouldn’t be here,” he said. “We should be at home trying to rebuild the lives that were taken away from us, coming to terms with this new reality that we were forced into because we were ignored and neglected and lost our loved ones in the most horrific way possible. All we had is promises, promises and promises, broken promises.”

In a speech after being challenged by Thompson, Brokenshire said: “Two years have passed, and I know this has been testing in ways I cannot begin to imagine … I have to say that your strength and character and dignity has been truly humbling for me to see.

“For too long the people of Grenfell and people across the country have been excluded from conversations about the homes they are living in,” he said. “Whilst there has been progress on rehousing, I know there is a lot more to do. We need to continue to challenge ourselves.”

John Healey, Labour’s shadow housing secretary, said: “Not enough has been done to get every one of those Grenfell survivors into a new home, to get justice for the Grenfell community, to get all those other blocks with unsafe cladding removed and replaced, and also to get those far-reaching changes to building regulations.”

I was only thinking of that earlier. Where have those 2 years gone, Helena.

Hi @Awwlookatmybabyspider I know what you mean.

I suspect time has dragged for the residents though.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/barking-fire-developer-highly-likely-to-strip-cladding-and-remove-balconies-from-block-61869

Barking fire developer ‘highly likely’ to strip cladding and remove balconies from block
News
11/06/193:25 PM
by Jack Simpson

The developer behind the Barking development, which saw 20 properties completely destroyed by a fire on Sunday, is now likely to remove the cladding and balconies from the affected block, it has confirmed

A statement released by developer Bellway, which completed the building in 2012, said: “It is highly likely that we will replace the cladding and balconies in order to allay any concerns residents may have.”

The company said that while the material was compliant with building regulations, it wanted to “act in a positive manner”.

The developer is currently carrying out a survey of the whole of the block and expects to conclude this work at the start of next week.

Yesterday Inside Housing revealed that the material used on the Samuel Garside block was wood-based material ThermoWood with a Class D fire rating.

ThermoWood, according to a brochure by its manufacturer, is wood that has been heated to make it “more stable”. The brochure says that its reaction to fire is rated as Class D

Government guidance requires Class B for the external surfaces of walls on buildings above 18m and limited combustibility, or A2 for insulation. Class D is more combustible than both of these.

It is understood the height of the Samuel Garside building is below the 18m threshold for government regulations – meaning there are no limits placed by the guidance. Balconies are also widely considered exempt.

In addition to the 20 flats that were destroyed, a further 10 properties were damaged. Two people were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene but there were no major injuries.

A Bellway spokesperson said it was continuing to investigate the incident, would be helping Barking & Dagenham Council to secure alternative accommodation for affected residents, and carry out remedial works on damaged apartments.

They added: “We understand that the blaze was contained to the external envelope of the eastern elevation of the building, with initial reports suggesting that it was caused by a barbecue on a resident’s balcony.

“We are relieved that the fire protection measures within the building, which received all regulatory approvals, ensured that occupants were safely evacuated.”

A total of 32 of the 80 properties in the Samuel Garside block belonged to housing association Southern Housing Group. Adriatic Land, which is part of the £1.6bn Long Harbour Ground Rent Fund, bought the head lease of the property from Bellway.

Yesterday mayor of London Sadiq Khan said that he would be speaking to the owners of the Samuel Garside building, Adriatic Land, about the fire to try and push the freeholder to ensure blocks in Barking were made safe

from twitter

Peter Apps
‏ @PeteApps
1h1 hour ago

A teaser: we have a major investigation into the government's failure to stop Grenfell by acting on the coroner's findings from Lakanal coming based on new leaked documents.

It will run over two days - starting with the first of two news stories tomorrow.

Watch this space.

HelenaDove Wed 12-Jun-19 14:46:23

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/grenfell-management-company-ignored-lakanal-warnings-after-government-said-they-would-not-be-mandatory-61861

Grenfell management company ignored Lakanal recommendations after government said they would ‘not be mandatory’
News
12/06/197:00 AM
by Peter Apps

The company that managed Grenfell Tower ignored recommendations from a previous deadly tower block fire because government officials told them they would “not become mandatory”, Inside Housing can reveal

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The company that managed Grenfell Tower ignored warnings from a previous deadly tower block fire because government officials told them they would “not become mandatory”, Inside Housing can reveal #ukhousing
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Grenfell management company ignored Lakanal warnings after government said they would “not be mandatory” #ukhousing
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Missed chance to save 72 lives: report shows KCTMO ignored Lakanal advice after DCLG officials said they would “not become mandatory” #ukhousing

A previously unreleased report, branded a missed chance to save 72 lives, went before the board of Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) on 2 May 2013.

It considered the recommendations of the coroner investigating the Lakanal House fire – which killed six people in July 2009 – including the retrofitting of sprinklers in high rises and the danger of fire spread over the “external envelope” of a building (see box below)

The recommendations had been made in a letter from the coroner, Frances Kirkham, to then-communities secretary Eric Pickles on 28 March 2013.

“If these recommendations were to be implemented – generally this would only be possible after a change in legislation – they would have a significant impact on all landlords with responsibility for high-rise blocks,” the report, which can be downloaded below, says

However, it goes on to say “initial indications from [the Department for Communities and Local Government] are that these recommendations are unlikely to be taken up” and “will not become mandatory”.

At this stage the Grenfell refurbishment was still being procured and the council had not yet set the final budget meaning that if the recommendations were taken up, they could have been included.

It was also three weeks before Mr Pickles formally responded to the coroner – suggesting the government was quietly signalling to social housing providers to ignore the findings even before it officially responded.

Grenfell United, the survivors and bereaved families group, told Inside Housing: "As shocking as these revelations are, they’re not surprising. The evidence was there before the fire that regulations were not fit for purpose, materials were dangerous and testing systems flawed.

"What is surprising is the government’s continued resistance to change. No one cared enough then and no one seems to care enough now. Enough with supportive platitudes, we need change now before another Grenfell.

What warnings did KCTMO ignore?
What warnings did KCTMO ignore?

The KCTMO report in 2013 considered the recommendations of the Lakanal House coroner, but government officials told them the findings would not be mandatory.

The findings it considered and what eventually happened with relation to Grenfell are below:

Recommendation one: “Consolidated national guidance on ‘stay put’ and its interaction with ‘get out stay out’ evacuation strategy including how such guidance is disseminated to residents”

This was a recommendation for government rather than KCTMO. But at Grenfell, experts have said the stay put strategy failed at 1.32am, but residents were still advised to stay in their homes for another 90 minutes. This likely cost many the chance to escape.

Recommendation two: “In relation to high-rise premises, responsible persons to provide relevant information on or near the premises, such as premises information boxes, must be accessible to London Fire Brigade and tailored to their requirements and kept updated by building owner”

The fire service repeatedly sought plans of the tower from KCTMO officials on the night of the fire, as well as a list of residents, but KCTMO struggled to provide either until the morning. The delay led incident commander Andy Roe to tell a liaison officer: “The fact that you’ve not been able to get me a set of plans is a major deficiency and will be highlighted.”

Recommendation three: “Extending scope of fire risk assessments to include inspection of the interior of flats/maisonettes necessary”

This level of fire risk assessment is known as a ‘Type Four’ and is designed to check if the compartments which are supposed to resist fire have been breached. At the time of the fire, Grenfell Tower had only ever had a Type One assessment, which does not check inside homes, as it remained the legal minimum and was the overwhelming norm for social housing properties.

Recommendation four: “Encourage providers to retro fit sprinklers within high-rise buildings”

The government wrote to providers setting out this finding, but without making it mandatory or providing any funding. Research by Inside Housing in 2015 showed less than 1% of social housing towers had sprinklers inside flats. None were ever fitted at Grenfell Tower.

Recommendation five: “Review of building regulations approved document dealing with spread of fire over external envelope of the building to provide clear guidance”

This review was put off by Eric Pickles until 2016/17 and had not been completed by the time the fire ripped through the tower. The cladding fitted to the outside had a certificate giving it a ‘Class 0’ rating – which was the requirement under the guidance for the ‘external surfaces of walls’ on high rises. The refurbishment which added the cladding had not begun when KCTMO considered this recommendation

.

In the end, Mr Pickles promised to write to social landlords encouraging them to fit sprinklers and review building regulations by 2016/17. The latter review had not been carried out when the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people in 2017.

Steve Reed, a Labour MP who has campaigned for fire safety changes since Grenfell, said: “The government and KCTMO, Grenfell Tower’s housing managers, could have saved the 72 lives lost at Grenfell Tower but their dogmatic opposition to regulation meant nothing was done. Conservative government ministers must now accept their culpability in this shocking tragedy.”

Arnold Tarling, a fire safety expert and chartered surveyor, said: “These measures would have prevented Grenfell. But this document shows [KCTMO] got a nod from Mr Pickles that they didn’t have to do anything, and so why spend the money?”

The report to the KCTMO board and available above, was written by Janice Wray, health, safety and facilities manager at KCTMO and is titled Current TMO Position on Fire Risk Assessments and Related Fire Safety Measures.

Under a heading titled “financial and risk issues” it goes on to say “the recommendations put forward by the coroner… will be investigated in relation to our stock so that the impact on resources can be quantified”.

The recommendations listed in the report include extending the scope of risk assessments, keeping “relevant information” near high rises for use by the London Fire Brigade and new guidance on stay put advice.

Grenfell only ever received a Level One fire risk assessment, no sprinklers were present in the building, flames ripped across a combustible façade installed during the refurbishment and fire fighters struggled to get relevant information from KCTMO on the night.

Elsewhere in the document, the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower itself is considered.

It notes: “Negotiations of the contract for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower with [proposed contractor] Leadbitter are ongoing. There is still a considerable difference between Appleyard (cost consultants) cost plan and Leadbitter’s estimate of the cost.

“In May 2013 a decision will be required regarding whether the project can be brought within budget with Leadbitter or whether the project should go out to competitive tender.”

The project was eventually tendered out, with Rydon ultimately appointed to do the work.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the government took action on the Lakanal House findings and the review of regulations was underway but not complete by the time of the fire.

KCTMO did not respond to a request for comment.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/news/revealed-hundreds-still-face-huge-cladding-bills-despite-government-fund-61784

A survey by the UK Cladding Action Group (UKCAG), shared with the magazine, showed that there were a number of blocks across the country clad in non-ACM where leaseholders still face crippling costs to replace cladding and resolve other fire safety issues.

Last month the government announced that it would create a £200m fund to pay for the removal of dangerous ACM cladding from private residential blocks.

However, of the 17 blocks referenced in response to the survey, exactly half did not have any ACM cladding on their blocks. Instead they have materials in their cladding and insulation that fire services and fire safety experts believe are dangerous and need to be removed. On some of these developments, leaseholders collectively face bills of up to £3m to get the cladding removed.

Natasha Foulkes – a resident at Burton Place in Manchester, which is clad in timber and combustible insulation – said that, as it stands, leaseholders in the block would still have to pay the cladding removal bill. The cost is estimated to be £80,000 for leaseholders that own three-bedroom flats in the development

She added: “While we are pleased the government is doing something, it is not enough, and the fund does not help us in any way.”

The UKCAG survey revealed the national scale of the problem, with responses from blocks in Ipswich, the West Midlands, Manchester, London and Sheffield.

Of the nine ACM-clad blocks referenced in response to the survey, four also have other types of cladding and insulation that need to be removed. One example is the Northpoint building in south London, which has three different types of dangerous cladding, including category three ACM – the same used on Grenfell.

Inside Housing is currently running its End Our Cladding Scandal campaign, which calls on the government to provide funding for the removal of dangerous cladding from private blocks. However, the government has so far been clear that cash will go only to those blocks covered in ACM.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/13/this-building-has-no-sprinklers-grenfell-uniteds-12-storey-high-guerrilla-messages?fbclid=IwAR0ieCgXzSwoWrfL7nGQJezwakziU_AHxZ8QReV4SKqy0EnG3RMAvcq9t_Y

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/13/two-years-grenfell-government-blocks-cladding?CMP=share_btn_tw

www.thesun.co.uk/news/9284495/grenfell-survivor-fire-hazard-flat-hotel/

2 YEARS OF PAIN Grenfell survivor whose dad died in blaze is finally rehomed in fire hazard flat where water pours through ceiling

A GRENFELL survivor whose dad died in the blaze is back living in a hotel after the home given to him became a FIRE hazard and started leaking.

Bobby Ross, 29, is currently staying in a Kensington hotel after being forced to leave his new flat when water started pouring through a light socket.

He was hoping to be rehomed after his flat on the 15th floor was destroyed in the fire which claimed the lives of 72 people.

But after entering the two-bed flat in Hammersmith earlier this week, he quickly noticed it was leaking and unsafe so moved out without spending the night.

Exclusive footage obtained by The Sun Online - the day before the second anniversary of the tragedy - shows water pouring from the ceiling and emerging from the doorframe.
EIGHTH HOTEL SINCE BLAZE

Kensington and Chelsea Council were then forced to move him into a hotel – his eighth since the devastating fire.

One of the victims was his dad Steve Power, 63, who died with his three Staffordshire Bull Terriers wrapped around him after being advised to stay in his flat.

Bobby had left the flat to buy some food at midnight on the day of the fire and returned to see it completely ablaze

He has been left feeling suicidal after he lost his dad and did not move from the base of tower desperately waiting and hoping that his dad would be found alive.

Some have even had mice. And the latest flat that I had to move out of this week was a fire hazard as water leaked over the light fittings.
Bobby Ross

Bobby has effectively been homeless for two years, disastrously rehoused numerous times by the council who have provided him with totally inadequate housing solutions.

His furious girlfriend said: “He will be the only bereaved resident in a hotel on the anniversary.”

Describing the aftermath of the fire, Bobby said: “I didn’t eat anything and I didn’t sleep during that first 48 hours.

“For maybe over 15 years my dad had been telling them about how dangerous the tower was. He was continually ignored.

BOTTOM OF THE LIST

“If there is a pile, a list, then I feel like I have been left at the very bottom. Many times I have attempted or considered suicide.”

Describing some of the homes he lived in since, he added: “Some have even had mice. And the latest flat that I had to move out of this week was a fire hazard as water leaked over the light fittings.

“Now, two years on from the fire I am one of if not the only survivor back living at a hotel. It’s been a rollercoaster.

"Every time I feel like a chance is happening for me with a new property, something always happens. There’s always work that needs to be done.

“I’m not able to move in. I haven’t been able to move on. I’ve been very low. I have had a few suicide attempts.

“Mentally I don’t know whether I’m coming or going.”

I’m not able to move in. I haven’t been able to move on. I’ve been very low. I have had a few suicide attempts.

Tomorrow marks 24 months since a small kitchen fire in the building turned into the most deadly domestic blaze since the Second World War.

Bereaved families will gather for a memorial service at the nearby St Helen's Church in the morning, which will set the tone for a day of remembrance.

For just over a year the building has stood surrounded by white sheeting, with banners featuring the green Grenfell heart and the words "Grenfell forever in our hearts" emblazoned across it.

Cllr Elizabeth Campbell, leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, told The Sun Online: “We have been working hard to make the properties we bought for bereaved, survivors and their families into a place they can call home, working with them to do so in incredibly complex circumstances.

This hasn’t been simple – it was never going to be. We had experienced housing officers making this clear to people two years ago.

“We are nearly there, but we will not be rushing the last few families to meet artificial deadlines.

“There is currently one household in a hotel, and 184 families have a permanent home.

“Council staff have never stopped caring and never stopped working, and this will continue to be the case when every family is in their new home and starting to rebuild their lives, and we are working with our colleagues in the NHS who will be crucial for this long-term effort.

Bloody hell is it 2 years already?

It's so awful. Every time I think about it I get the rage about how those residents were failed and how slow changes are happening.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/pms-chief-of-staff-did-not-act-on-multiple-warnings-about-fire-safety-in-months-before-grenfell-new-letters-show-61883

PM’s chief of staff did not act on multiple warnings about fire safety in months before Grenfell, new letters show
News
13/06/197:00 AM
by Peter Apps

Theresa May’s chief of staff was sent multiple, clear warnings to review fire safety rules in the months leading up to Grenfell, but failed to reply to letters or meet with the MPs raising concerns, new documents obtained by Inside Housing reveal

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Prime minister’s chief of staff did not act on multiple warnings about fire safety before Grenfell, new letters show #ukhousing
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Gavin Barwell was sent seven letters warning about fire safety and building regulations in the year building up to Grenfell. He did not act, new letters show #ukhousing

Gavin Barwell, who was housing minister in 2016 and 2017, received seven letters from the group of MPs responsible for scrutinising fire safety rules between September 2016 and May 2017 – with the last landing just 26 days before the fire at Grenfell Tower.

The letters warned of the risk of a deadly fire and called for a promised review of building regulations and fire safety to be carried out to prevent it.

But Mr Barwell sent just three short replies during this period and became so bad at replying that the group resorted to sending their letters by recorded delivery.

Ministers had previously been warned that if a tower block fire occurred “where the matters raised here were found to be contributory to the outcome, then the group would be bound to bring this to others’ attention.

The letters are described as a “smoking gun” by Labour MP David Lammy and come as Inside Housing publishes the results of a major investigation into the failure to act on the coroner’s recommendations from the fatal 2009 Lakanal House fire in time to prevent the 72 deaths at Grenfell Tower.

Inside Housing understands a total of 21 letters calling for change were sent to ministers Eric Pickles, James Wharton, Stephen Williams and Mr Barwell by the group between 2014 and 2017. Mr Barwell was made Theresa May’s chief of staff after losing his seat as an MP in 2017.

BBC Panorama has previously reported these ministers were contacted by the group – but the new documents reveal the extent of the warnings missed.

Listen to an audio version of our investigation here:

The letters particularly push for a review of the requirement that the external surfaces of buildings have a ‘Class 0’ fire safety rating. Grenfell Tower was eventually clad with a material certified to Class 0.

They also called on ministers to reconsider the decision not to make retrofitting sprinklers mandatory for high-rises, given new costing analysis showed it had become much cheaper.

But ministers refused to listen to these warnings, with Mr Wharton at one stage citing the government’s desire to “reduce the burden of red tape” in his refusal to act.

In September 2014, then-minister Stephen Williams responded to a string of letters to tell the group he had “neither seen nor heard anything that would suggest consideration of these specific potential changes is urgent” and said he was “not willing to disrupt the work of this department by asking that these matters be brought forward”.

The group’s chair, Sir David Amess MP, responded on 28 October, writing that he was “at a loss to understand how you had concluded that credible and independent evidence which had life safety implications was not considered to be urgent”.

He added: “As a consequence, the group wishes to point out to you that should a major fire tragedy with loss of life occur between now and 2017 in, for example, a residential care facility or a purpose-built block of flats, where the matters raised here were found to be contributory to the outcome, then the group would be bound to bring this to others’ attention.

Mr Barwell himself was first contacted him on 12 September 2016, with an invite to lunch and note saying that the post-Lakanal review of regulations had still not taken place

Regrettably, we have yet to receive any announcement on this, which is of such importance to the fire and construction sector,” the letter read. It also referred to a death of a pregnant woman in a tower block fire in Essex in May 2016 – which was in Sir David’s constituency.

But Mr Barwell did not reply and also ignored a follow-up letter on 17 October. He finally replied on 14 November, saying a “statement would be made in due course” and declining the invite to lunch.

The group chased him again on 22 November, urging him to make an early statement on the review, but again received no response. They chased again on 20 February expressing “extreme concern” that the minister had not yet written to the residents of the block where the pregnant woman died

He finally replied on 5 April, saying the previous letters had been “lost in transit” and accepting that this was “completely unacceptable”. He finally accepted their offer of a meeting.

The group replied on the 18 April saying: “It is over 11 years since Part B [dealing with fire safety] was last reviewed and I trust that the matters… will now receive your due consideration and early decision to proceed.

“The group firmly believes after being given a similar response by three successive ministers… that it is now the time to listen to what the fire sector is saying and get on with the promised review.”

By this stage, it had resolved to send the letter by recorded delivery.

Mr Barwell finally responded to this letter on 2 May without setting a date for the review, and the group sent its last letter to him on May 19 – just weeks before Grenfell.

The planned meeting was then put off due to the snap election

The group also contacted chancellor Philip Hammond in January and February 2017, calling for consideration of sprinklers in schools and high-rises and making it clear that the promised review of the regulations had not been carried out.

The chancellor instructed them to keep liaising with Mr Barwell.

David Lammy, a Labour MP who lost a friend at Grenfell Tower, said: “These warnings are yet another smoking gun in a man-made, preventable tragedy that took the lives of 72 at Grenfell Tower.

“The national and local government response to repeated warnings about safety in this block and others is characterised by apathy rather than action. Those culpable of gross negligent manslaughter must be held to account.”

Grenfell United, the survivors and bereaved families group, said: “As shocking as these revelations are, they’re not surprising. The evidence was there before the fire that regulations were not fit for purpose, materials were dangerous and testing systems flawed

“What is surprising is the government’s continued resistance to change. No one cared enough then and no one seems to care enough now. Enough with supportive platitudes – we need change now before another Grenfell.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government said the government “took action” on the coroner’s findings.

The spokesperson said the review of the guidance was “underway but had not been completed” by the time of the Grenfell fire and added that the government still “believes an appropriate level of fire safety can be achieved without the need to retrofit sprinklers”.

A review of Approved Document B, which deals with fire safety is currently under way, with the government saying it will respond to a consultation “in due course”.

Mr Barwell did not respond when Inside Housing contacted him for comment.

www.insidehousing.co.uk/insight/special-investigation--the-lost-lessons-of-lakanal-how-politicians-missed-the-chance-to-stop-grenfell-61834

I think it's terrible how slowly things have moved and changed since. With Grenfell being such an appalling tragedy, I thought it would be a wake up call for the powers that be, but I don't see it. One tragedy was one too many; all those lives needlessly lost. But I don't see enough being done to prevent a repeat. The government can find enough money to waste when it suits them - this should be an absolute priority.

Living in a hotel for two years; that's shocking. On top of everything those poor people lost .

I feel that the memory of watching that night unfold, even though only on the media, will stay with me forever. And so it should; we all need to make sure we don't forget.

Its sickening how slow its been. There was a young lad with survived Grenfell on GMTV (I think) saying.
On many tower blocks they still have the flammable cladding, and basically
people are just passing the book back and forth. Its disgusting.

I pray to the good Lord I'm wrong, but I fear it could easily be a just matter of time before we have another repeat of Grenfell.

It came pretty close last Sunday with the Barking fire.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/3607991-Barking-fire-Major-incident-declared-as-fire-breaks-out-in-block-of-flats-in-East-London

Thankfully they all got out...................but they will have lost all documentation including ID Then theres the shock and trauma.

Very good statement by Emma Dent Coad

twitter.com/emmadentcoad/status/1139206130087931905

Two years on my thoughts are with all those affected by Grenfell

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/jun/14/united-in-grief-and-anger-grenfell-families-gather-two-years-on?utm_term=Autofeed&CMP=twt_gu&utm_medium=&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1560467611

.

twitter.com/VictoriaLIVE/status/1139462920373358595

"Arent you embarrassed to be here"

twitter.com/RagsMartel/status/1139525096685678592

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/grenfell-tower-fire-victims-death-toll-downing-street-lights-up-illuminated-anniversary-a8958586.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1560517658