Grenfell Tower to be demolished.

[AnAlpacaForChristmasPleaseSanta]

News - Grenfell to be demolished, bereaved families told www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5g99xy979o BBC News - Grenfell to be demolished, bereaved families told www.bbc.com/news/articles/cq5g99xy979o

I can understand why some people want it torn down and a nice memorial there instead. But I also see why some want it left as it's a final resting place to so many.

I can see both sides too. But I do think maybe a memorial would be more fitting.

As long as it isn't something like a plaque and they build more housing on there.

Oh god, would like to think that would never happen but...

I think the best tribute they could pay to the victims of Grenfell would be to ensure that it is never able to happen again, so all unsafe cladding removed and fire alarms and sprinklers installed and maintained. But I won't hold my breath.

Yes me too, like you I can't see it happening.

My relative was a firefighter at Grenfell, absolutely heartbroken at what they saw. Then they tried to blame LFB for most of the casualties.

I think a garden would be a fitting memorial.

Oh gosh I'd forgotten that, how despicable. I do remember whoever the PM was at the time visiting but only meeting the fire crews and swerving the angry and traumatized residents 🙄 (unlike the brilliant late Queen who met everyone).

A garden would be lovely and maybe with some sort of sculpture in it with the names of all the deceased on. Similar to the one the have in Hyde Park for the victims of 7/7.

It’s not the same but sort of is…

Theres a cemetary for those who died in the terrible conditions at the Epsom Asylums. My ancestor was one. You’d expect that they wouldn’t build on it (I won’t go in to detail about the site as it’s traumatic) but they are currently proposing that they do. Hundreds are buried there. But enough time has passed, people are forgetting the asylum atrocities and just see it as viable land.

So I feel like if they do demolish Grenfell, they need to make absolutely damned sure that it’s something that cannot ever be built on. Even in 100 years time when it’s not so fresh in people minds. A garden yes and agreed about the sculpture. People need to remember 😔

The Grenfell building is unsafe, ugly and useless. It needs to be completely demolished.

Whilst I understand the families of the victims point of view (it’s not necessarily that they want it to remain forever, but at least until there are successful prosecutions), we’re almost 8 years on and the shell has become unsafe.
It’s held together by pins at the moment but realistically will eventually collapse without significant intervention. Demolishing it safely has to be preferable to it degrading further and becoming increasingly dangerous as it does so.
It won’t have been a decision taken lightly and I agree with PP that the area should be set aside as a memorial with victims and families of victims given reassurance it will not become housing or be used for profit.

I don’t understand the resistance to it becoming housing. The WTC became another skyscraper. We need housing.

This is what I think.

I'm surprised anybody thinks differently, to be honest.

It's an unsafe structure. What else could possibly happen other than it be demolished?

Fully agree some sort of memorial should be put on the site.

I think it needs to come down. Interestingly BBC are referring it to being dismantled rather than demolished.

I work in the construction industry, local authorities are putting tenders out left right and centre to deal with the cladding and fire assessment risks, but they are not appointing anyone. They can't afford it. It's a disgrace.

ETA - I fully understand why it will be difficult for families

I suspect most of us are living atop some kind of burial site!

Surely it needs to go. It's unsafe and going to be expensive to maintain. It might help with healing if it's not there as a constant reminder. A memorial garden in its place might be more fitting.

Actually I think I agree.

This is not entirely accurate. Yes, a new skyscraper was built (One World Trade Centre IIRC), but the footprints of the original, destroyed Twin Towers are now the Ground Zero Memorial. It is a very moving place.

Keeping it up is ghoulish not to mention unsafe. Why would you want to look at a place where so many people perished? Build a lovely memorial garden to the victims there and fill it with lovely plants and trees. Make it a place people can sit and relax rather than stare up at a horrible looming building.

I think its right that its being taken down and I wouldn't object to housing being built there (safely and respectively). Without sounding cruel to the victims its prime London real estate and we are absolutely desperate in the city for more housing.
Having a memorial garden would be a nice way to remember but I cant see the victims family going back to the tower as they are to pay their respects or remember them as it just looks awful as it is.

Yes. There are 2 lovely monuments which are very subtle in the place of the towers

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_September_11_Memorial_%26_Museum

I think it should be removed as it will get increasingly unsafe. It could be rebuilt to be genuinely safe secure council housing out of respect, with a big memorial to those who died in a nearby local public park. There is a huge shortage of housing for local low income families.

I am not against it coming down but I can understand why the families of the victims might be, when my beloved aunty died at her home (not in a fire) I desperately wanted to not have to sell her house because it's the last place she was. Both in life and death.
Not at all rational but grief isn't.

Yes. The best memorial would be high quality, well-designed housing there. Not a garden which will end up full of litter. London is over populated as it is.

Thankfully I haven't lost anyone in the tragedy so I don't know how I'd react obviously,but why do relatives not want the tower taken down? It's a horrible reminder surely? Another memorial or a garden or park, would be better wouldn't it?

My kids school is attached to it and victims do go back and view it, so people saying they don’t are wrong. It already seems to be a memorial site, so I do wonder how they are going to respectfully take it down and put something that will be significant enough for the families.

The council also needs to sort out its current very bad social housing and the extra long list of people in temporary housing. I think that would be a greater legacy. Letting people in the community know that they are welcomed and not to be shipped out of the area.

They need to take it down and build something as a fitting memorial.

My thoughts entirely. A final resting place to me means literally that - where someone spent their last resting hours/minutes. No poor soul 'rested' in that buliding. A garden where their souls can truly rest, and their relatives and friends can sit and talk to them feels like a much more peaceful idea.

I can't believe it's still there all these years later. I completely understand the pain of those who lost loved ones, but it's a horrendous eyesore, as well as unsafe. It is heavily damaged and it needs to come down and the area be redeveloped. Any plans for that site though should definitely include a memorial.