Last week, Angela Rayner defended her handling of a meeting with Grenfell Tower fire bereaved families and survivors after some characterised it as a “car crash”. The deputy prime minister announced that the 24-storey tower would be gradually dismantled, almost eight years after a fire that killed 72 people. Rayner said she did not feel she was “aggressive” during the meeting, adding that if anyone felt that way, then she would be “sincerely upset about that”.
Kimia Zabihyan, from Grenfell Next of Kin, which acts for some bereaved families, said Rayner appeared to have attended with the “best of intentions”. Grenfell United, which also represents some bereaved families and survivors, said no one at the meeting supported the plan and called ignoring their wishes as “disgraceful and unforgivable”.
Engineers advised that the tower was significantly damaged, and the government announced that the building would be dismantled. Meanwhile, it was also disclosed that many of the floors in the building cannot be retained as part of a permanent memorial. Some wanted the west London tower to remain standing as a lasting reminder of the tragedy, while others demanded that it be fully removed.
The fire in 2017 which took 72 lives inth Grenfell Tower was initially caused by a faulty fridge in a fourth-floor flat, however it spread quickly because the building was covered in highly flammable cladding. A public inquiry revealed that the disaster had resulted from numerous government and construction industry failures. The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been engaging with people on plans for a planned memorial in the area of the tower. Five design teams have been shortlisted to create the memorial which aims to submit a planning application by late 2026
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