On Wednesday 4th September, the final 1,700-page report of the six-year public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower tragedy was published.
The report sets out how significant failings across government and the private sector, led to the building being a prominent risk to life, where 72 people sadly died in 2017.
A summary of the final report produced by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, the Chairman of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, labelled the disaster as “the culmination of decades of failures by central government and other bodies in positions of responsibility”.
It has already been established that the cladding used to fabricate Grenfell Tower was the ‘principal reason’ for the accelerated spread of fire throughout the block. Further to this, the Final Report delved into the following influential factors: –
1. “Systematic dishonesty” relating to the sale of combustible materials used to clad the tower, including ‘manipulation’ of the testing process of cladding materials;
The report highlights a deliberate concealment of risk from the companies which provided the ACM cladding and foam insulation in which Grenfell was encased, and a culture of complicity by those who certified such products and allowed them to be used in the construction of Grenfell Tower.
2. Lack of robustness and conflicted interests in building inspection;
3. Defective government safety regulations;
Including a failure to actively monitor the regulatory systems that were in place, and a ‘complacent’ government attitude to fire safety were acknowledged in the report.
It is noted that the years between 2009 and 2017 were marked by a ‘persistent indifference to fire safety, particularly the safety of vulnerable people’.
The two bodies jointly responsible for the management of fire safety at Grenfell have been scrutinised for their ‘chronic and systemic failings’ across the board.
4. Prior knowledge of the risk and incomprehensive reporting;
Despite Grenfell being labelled the UK’s deadliest residential fire since the Second World War, the tragedy was not a standalone incident. In the 50 years prior to the catastrophic fire, there had been an increasing concern for the safety of the use of combustible cladding in construction which led to the following fires: –
2nd August 1973 – Summerland Fire Disaster, Douglas (Isle of Man)
5th April 1991 – Knowsley Heights Fire, Merseyside
11th June 1999 – Garnock Court Fire, Scotland
3rd July 2009 – Lakanal House Fire, London
Within the Final Report, there is a particular focus on the time period between the 1991 Knowsley Heights Fire and the fire at Grenfell Tower, where there were ‘many opportunities’ for the government to identify the risk to life, and a clear failure to take action in relation to those risks.
Grenfell United, a pressure group made up of survivors and bereaved families following the Grenfell disaster, says that “justice has not been delivered” and that those who were “truly responsible” must be held to account through the Metropolitan police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
Grenfell United called for a change in government culture to separate itself from the construction industry and corporate lobbying, putting people before profit.
Here at Farleys, we have an experienced team dedicated to assisting bereaved families with the difficult reality of the inquest and inquiry process. For example, Farleys’ Kelly Darlington assisted the inquest into the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in 2020, which resulted in a call for a change in the law.
To discuss how we can help, please call 0845 287 0939 or send your enquiry online and one of our team will get in touch with you.