Grenfell Tower The Aftermath Thread SIX.

[HelenaDove]

I thought i would take the oppurtunity to start thread six as thread five is now coming to an end. to all those lost in the fire their survivors families friends and volunteers.

Link to thread five which also includes links to previous threads.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/in_the_news/2959251-London-Fire-Grenfell-Tower-thread-five?pg=1

2026 Yeah lets give them time to get out of the country first. 🙄

https://news.met.police.uk/news/update-on-the-grenfell-tower-fire-investigation-484173

I understand the police need to consider the public inquiry and incorporate its findings and conclusions. But 8 - 9 years to bring charges when everything is right there is not justice.

Something needs to be done about public inquiries. They are far too slow.

It will be like Hillsborough. Enough time to ensure that corporate legal entities don't exist so can't be pursued and people have perfectly prepared their defences/mitigations. No-one and nothing will be held responsible. I've said it from day one post this sickening tragedy.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00201xt

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/aug/31/a-web-of-blame-key-findings-from-the-second-phase-of-the-grenfell-inquiry

From that article, obviously there’s a lot of detail and there will be specific names that wouldn’t have come out otherwise, and more clarity on the specific chain of events for this tragedy. But it does basically sound like the big lessons are exactly what was being said was the cause 3 months after the fire (cheapskate and uncaring local government, deregulation, and mercenary commercial firms meaning that no one actually cared about fire safety and so corners could be cut, illegally, with impunity; along with a fire service that basically ignored risks it should have been proactive about planning for). It’s just taken millions of pounds and seven years to get here.

https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/civil-servant-brian-martin-grenfell-tower-fire-qbjd6shw2

https://inews.co.uk/news/housing/grenfell-residents-ignored-belittled-demand-change-safety-3253165?ito=twitter_share_article-top

I am not surprised that fire safety inspectors were found to have a conflict of interest in the report. Something else that has arison from Grenfell is companies have actually found a way to make money from it.

The door to our flat is a self closing fire door. It was fitted in March 2019 We were the ONLY ones that co operated. Other tenants refused. Our thanks for this? We were told we would have to share the key to the cupboard of our electric meter with the druggie who lived downstairs at the time. The doors on the cupboards which house the electric meters were changed as well.

Fast forward to 2022 and our HA sent letters out saying our front doors would need to be changed to fire doors. Ours had already been done but they wouldnt accept this. DH had a heated discussion with a housing assistant who insisted it had to be changed DH pointed out that if there was something wrong with it you get the same company back to fix the mistake Not PAY ANOTHER company A different contractor was used this time. I spotted one of them in the car park told him what the HA said and he came up and took a look. "there is nothing wrong with this we cant better it" he said.

https://x.com/threadreaderapp/status/1832030532722462907

And now..................

Exibit A.
https://www.safelincs-forum.co.uk/topic/5714-fd-30-door-replacement-mandated/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIfWbxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHaPdnAK1XYc09ItLJ1mYu87cuFOmNji-MkZUHnnxwaJ-4ywZsZi0QDNX6w_aem_dJWoqrAjHmltVvNRY1o1Yw
From page 2.
Members
1
Posted May 29, 2023
I'm in this situation, except it's really messed up... I am a leaseholder in a block of Council flats. The building is 3-stories, and ~9m tall.
Five years ago my block of flats had all of the doors replaced (£880 each) "in accordance with fire safety regulations".
They said that these refurbishment works included "replacement door and frame (door set) which are compliant 30 FD 4 panelled doors along with the associated ironmongery which includes door viewers, security chains, letter plate and numerals".
After they did the work, we looked at our doors and found that they are FD30S doors, in that they also include the intumescent strips and smoke seals.
That's all fine... but fast-forward to today, and now they are trying to replace our FD30S door sets again, this time... with FD30S door sets (again).
When we asked why, they said the following:
"The current doors to a number of flats within [REDACTED] are not fully certified FD30s door sets, and while I can see some of the components we would expect to see in an FD30S doorset, they have not been installed together and tested as a complete set to achieve at least 30 minutes fire resistance from both sides. For this reason it has been recommended that these doors are replaced with complete certified composite FD30s doorsets, as per current legislation."
Is it me, or is this insane?
We have in writing from the Council that all of our doors are FD30 rated doors, and were invoiced when these works were completed. We don't specifically have anything saying they are smoke doors, but you can clearly see that they are.
We have tried to get basic information from the Council regarding these works for a year. They have ignored all of our requests, both written and verbal, even thoughout the consultation period. To summarize these issues:
When the FRA was done
We don't have a copy of the FRA or know what's on it
We don't have a itemized breakdown of costs which explains why the works are 480% more expensive than last time (£4,200 per door set vs £880 5 years ago)
We don't know what regulation has changed requiring FD30S door sets installed as independent parts to be entirely replaced by composite FD30S door sets
The Council and their contractor continue to ignore all of the tenants and our requests, and are pressing forward with the works as of last week and intending to invoice us, and have us pay for these works. It's insanity!!
Can anyone help us to understand why our existing FD30S door sets are not adequate? Are there actually new regulations that require do FD30S door sets to be replaced like-for-like with composite door sets if they were not installed all at the same time?
If that is true and our doors are not up to current legislation, thus requiring replacement, aren't the Council thereby liable for a criminal offence having left all of the tenants here at risk of death from fire (The Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022 - clause 1.2)?
I also noticed that the Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022: fire door guidance - clause 6.5, states that since 23 January 2023 any Fire Risk Assessments must include checks on flat front entrance doors on both sides - we know for a fact that this has not been done.
Please Save Our Souls! 🙏🙏🙏 Any help of advice will be a God-send as they are undertaking the works now!

I'm sorry I don't have any advice but wanted to say how unjust this situation is for you and your fellow leaseholders. If the first replacement door sets are not safe then I can understand they need to replaced but that is some increase in price! So the doors in place are only 5 years old? They should have been guaranteed for longer than that surely? I hope someone comes along who can help x

Thankyou @mrsglowglow Its not me personally. Im just absolutely disgusted that a tragedy has been turned into a money maker.

Though i am having mine replaced today after only six years.

Yes sounds like a combination of incompetence and exploitation. The older I become the more I realise the general public have such little protection. So many people end up in debt or in substandard housing due to no fault of their own.

I agree, and even worse when the local authority (or other quangos) are part of the incompetence and exploitation when their prime duty should be to protect the resident/taxpayer/customer.

@mrsglowglow lol new door fitted and it doesnt self close LIKE THE OLD ONE DID which THEY claimed didnt meet regulations. All about the ££££

SH haters here showing their true colours Saying i MUST have this done as it is the regulations and then laughing at me when i say it doesnt do what its supposed to
https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/5202467-housing-association-to-fit-new-flat-fire-door-and-new-locks?page=7&reply=142243777

Oh you couldn't make it up. So you're left with a door that for all we know is not as safe as the existing. And because it's SH there's an insinuation that you're not entitled to question but just put up with whatever.

Yep My original front door self closed in four seconds. The one that was fitted today wont self close at all.

https://shaction.org/2025/02/19/clarions-victimisation-culture/?fbclid=IwY2xjawIi2dVleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRKAxbCJKxE8pO2nKTAJhV9_5DYRPyEWuG42mnjtRWFEsYRBOnPgUmY8nw_aem_KHo-gAAFp3iuwdeibO5qSQ

Government is claiming all of the enquiry's recommendations will be enacted. And seven companies are being investigated related to the fire. Which is good to hear, but still not seeing what's actually been done years after the tragedy and almost 6 months after the final report - which the government will have knwn the content of for months before publication.

Edited to add link to the news article! www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg1eje2jg4o

It gets better @mrsglowglow As the days have gotten lighter and not so grey we have noticed light coming in underneath the door through a gap thats not supposed to be there. There is a light in the communal hallway but that works through a sensor and only comes on when ppl go in and out of the building so we didnt notice the gap until last week as it started to get brighter

So this door was a replacement to upgrade the building to meet current regulations. What has now been provided appears less safe whether from sub standard materials, workmanship or both! Have you and your neighbours reported your concerns to the HA? It's unacceptable but doesn't surprise me. Someone somewhere along the line is making a lot of money from these contracts.