Grenfell Bereaved And Survivors Bring Multimillion Pound Case To High Court

More than 800 bereaved and survivors from Grenfell Tower and 102 firefighters are seeking up to tens of millions of pounds in compensation from organisations involved in the disastrous refurbishment in a case that reaches the high court on Wednesday. The victims of the fire on 14 June 2017 and emergency responders have filed civil claims against defendants including Arconic, the US metals giant that made the combustible cladding, Rydon, the main contractor, and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, landlord of the 24-storey west London council block. Read more on the Guardian website.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jul/06/case-for-grenfell-bereaved-survivors-and-rescuers-heads-to-the-high-court 

Grenfell Costs Surpass £500m As Council Bill Revealed

The public costs of the Grenfell Tower fire have exceeded £500m after the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea revealed it had spent £406m on its response and recovery efforts in almost four years since the disaster. The sum is in addition to the costs to the taxpayer of the ongoing public inquiry, which hit £117m by the end of March this year, most of which was taken up with lawyers’ bills. The figures stand in stark contrast to the £300,000 saved in a cost-cutting exercise during the refurbishment of the 24-storey council block that led to combustible aluminium panels being substituted for the planned non-combustible zinc on the exterior of the block. Read more on the Guardian website.

Grenfell costs surpass £500m as council bill revealed | Grenfell Tower fire | The Guardian

Grenfell Tower: Survivors Lodge Multimillion-Pound Court Claim

A multimillion-pound personal injury claim has been lodged by survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire who were made homeless after the blaze. Monetary claims for loss and damage were lodged at the High Court just before Christmas. Kensington and Chelsea Council is one of 22 organisations that are the focus of the complainants' law suit. Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55650751

Grenfell Tower Called ‘Poor Cousin’ To Nearby New Development

The Grenfell inquiry has heard how cladding was spoken of as stopping the tower looking like “a poor cousin” to a new school and leisure centre being developed nearby. And the tower was regarded by Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (RBKC) officers as one of the worst property assets held by Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO). The inquiry was told of an 2011 e-mail exchange in which RBKC officers said cladding the Tower could “address the investment needs of one of KCTMO’s worst property assets” and prevent it looking like a “poor cousin to the brand new facility” being developed next door”. Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/grenfell-tower-called-poor-cousin-to-nearby-new-development/

Grenfell Refurbishment A ‘Political Nightmare’

Both RBKC (Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea) and KCTMO (Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation) were “obsessed” with the cost and aesthetics of refurbishing Grenfell Tower at the expense of fire safety – creating what the public inquiry into the disaster heard was a “political nightmare”. That description was put to the inquiry as evidence taken from an internal 2013 e-mail within the principal contractor Rydon, which read: “Reading what’s on the internet its a political nightmare, there’s a website dedicated to complaining about phase 1 and the scheme in general. It looks like they have been forced into doing something with the tower.” Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/grenfell-refurbishment-a-political-nightmare/

Flats Chosen To House Grenfell Survivors Found To Have ‘High’ Fire Risk

A block of flats chosen by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council (RBKC) to house survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire has been found to have “high” fire risk and needs immediate work to make it safe. A fire risk assessment of the Hortensia Road block in Kensington, which is currently housing 20 people and was set aside for the survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire, also found that there was "no evidence" that the cladding of the building had been inspected. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/news/block-of-flats-chosen-to-house-grenfell-survivors-found-to-have-high-fire-risk-62729?utm_source=Housing60&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_link&utm_campaign=H60

Grenfell Survivors Offered Discounts On Homes Under New Ownership Deals

Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire will be offered special homeownership deals, including significant discounts on the purchase of new properties by the government and Kensington and Chelsea Council. In a letter to former residents of the tower, housing secretary James Brokenshire and Kim Taylor-Smith, deputy leader at the council, outlined the two offers. The Enhanced Portable Discount will allow residents to use a discount to buy a home on the open market anywhere in the country apart from the one they currently live in. It will involve discounts of up to £160,000, £50,000 more than the Right to Buy. Residents will also be offered the Grenfell Assisted Home Ownership Scheme. Read more on Inside Housing.

https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/grenfell-survivors-offered-discounts-on-homes-under-new-ownership-deals-61828

Grenfell Council Officers Accused Of ‘Racism Or Snobbery – Take Your Pick’

In an extraordinary address to the Commons, MP for Kensington & Chelsea Emma Dent Coad has accused officers of Kensington and Chelsea Council of “racism or snobbery – take your pick” during a debate on the response to the Grenfell disaster. The House heard Dent Coad pledge to continue exposing the council’s “duplicity and blatant lies, incompetence and cover-ups.” She catalogued examples of a “feudal” attitude officers – some senior –  took towards residents of Grenfell and its surrounds, including:

·         “It’s like Little Africa down there” and “it’s full of people from the Tropics”

·         References to residents as “Muzzies”

·         Warnings of Kensington and Chelsea becoming an “Islamic Caliphate”

·         Money spent on mental health dismissed by “they all look fine to me”

Read more on 24housing.

https://www.24housing.co.uk/news/grenfell-council-officers-accused-of-racism-or-snobbery-take-your-pick/

Grenfell Tower Timeline: The Key Events

An investigation reveals that Kensington and Chelsea council made £129 million from selling property in the years leading to the Grenfell fire tragedy. This money could have been spent on the tower’s renovation works, we established, but instead cuts were made to the budget, including saving £300,000 by using cheaper, more combustible cladding. The council also spent more than £60 million investing in new buildings in the years leading up to the fire on June 14, 2017, which killed 72 people. Survivors of the inferno have accused Kensington and Chelsea of “acting more like a property developer than a council” when it should have been focused on fire safety at Grenfell. The Bureau of Investigative Journalism details exactly when key decisions about the tower's renovation and how to finance it were made, alongside the council's property deals.

https://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2019-05-29/grenfell-tower-timeline-the-key-events

Grenfell Council Spends More Than £90k On Bosses' Bonuses

Bosses at the council responsible for Grenfell Tower received bonuses totalling more than £90,000 in the year after the fire, it has emerged. It was also revealed housing staff at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea had bonuses totalling £131,800. A survivors' group called the payments "abhorrent" since some households still do not have permanent homes. RBKC said bonuses were based on an employee's "individual performance" and the scheme was under "full review". The council also said: "No-one got a bonus specifically for helping respond to the fire." Read more on the BBC website.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47540281

Control Of Grenfell Tower Site To Be Handed Over To Government, Not Council

Grenfell survivors have expressed their relief that responsibility for the gutted tower block will be handed over to the government, rather than the local council, after a police probe is completed. The MHCLG said that, although Kensington and Chelsea council (RBKC) is the legal owner of the site, it will “take no role in the management or decision making” going forward. The announcement comes just days after concerns were raised that the site would fall under the remit of the local authority once the police investigation was completed. Read more on the Huffpost website.

https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/grenfell-tower-site-government-rbkc_uk_5b61c300e4b0fd5c73d53969

Grenfell: Police Say They Have 'Reasonable Grounds' To Suspect Corporate Manslaughter

Police investigating the Grenfell Tower fire have concluded there are “reasonable grounds” to suspect the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and the council’s tenant management organisation (TMO) may have committed corporate manslaughter. Chiefs from both organisations will be formally interviewed by officers as part of the criminal investigation into the tragedy that claimed at least 80 lives. A statement circulated to those involved said an “initial assessment” of seized material and witness statements had allowed police to conclude that each organisation may have committed the offence. Both organisations will be questioned under the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007. Read more on the Independent website.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/grenfell-tower-fire-latest-news-corporate-manslaughter-kensington-council-kctmo-met-police-a7863616.html

One In Seven Homeless In Kensington & Chelsea

The borough of Kensington & Chelsea is home to 10,705 families – 1,441 of which are homeless – one in seven of the population. Next door at Westminster, the figure is one in eight. In Haringey it is one in 12. Taking London as a whole, one in 24 families are classed as homeless – an increase of 46% compared to five years ago. Polly Neate, CEO at Shelter, said: “It’s shocking that one in every 24 families in London is homeless. Every day we help parents desperate to escape the cramped accommodation they’re forced to raise their children in.” Read more on 24housing.

http://www.24housing.co.uk/news/one-in-seven-homeless-in-kensington-chelsea/

Pilot Licensing System For Airbnb-Style Short Lets

Kensington & Chelsea council says it is preparing a new licensing system after receiving 91 complaints in the last two years of homeowners renting out their property on short lets for more than the current maximum of 90 days a year. The council says that under the current rules it has only been able to issue 11 people with enforcement notices ordering them to desist. In advance of Government action the council will consider a pilot licensing scheme to protect key areas. Read more on the Evening Standard website.

https://www.homesandproperty.co.uk/property-news/kensington-chelsea-to-curb-antisocial-behaviour-with-pilot-licensing-system-for-airbnbstyle-short-a117141.html

KCTMO Left Thousands Of Repairs Undone

Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) – which manages Kensington and Chelsea Council’s housing stock, including the Lancaster West Estate where Grenfell Tower is located – is due to hand back its responsibilities by the end of January. An officer’s report shows KCTMO has built up a huge number of uncompleted repairs. The papers also reveal Kensington and Chelsea Council is beginning a programme of fire risk assessments of other towers, seven months on from the devastating blaze, which killed 71. It is aware of less serious fire safety issues in other blocks. Download the paper from the Kensington & Chelsea website.

https://www.rbkc.gov.uk/committees/Document.ashx?czJKcaeAi5tUFL1DTL2UE4zNRBcoShgo=R6xqrijFYBoLpFPJB1scGRB%2fQagbRlMEwrfaNejjjDoLBBj8OZL3AQ%3d%3d&rUzwRPf%2bZ3zd4E7Ikn8Lyw%3d%3d=pwRE6AGJFLDNlh225F5QMaQWCtPHwdhUfCZ%2fLUQzgA2uL5jNRG4jdQ%3d%3d&mCTIbCubSFfXsDGW9IXnlg%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&kCx1AnS9%2fpWZQ40DXFvdEw%3d%3d=hFflUdN3100%3d&uJovDxwdjMPoYv%2bAJvYtyA%3d%3d=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&FgPlIEJYlotS%2bYGoBi5olA%3d%3d=NHdURQburHA%3d&d9Qjj0ag1Pd993jsyOJqFvmyB7X0CSQK=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNR9xqBux0r1Q8Za60lavYmz=ctNJFf55vVA%3d&WGewmoAfeNQ16B2MHuCpMRKZMwaG1PaO=ctNJFf55vVA%3d

Grenfell Firm To Pass Responsibility For Homes To Council

The firm that managed Grenfell Tower says it will hand over responsibility for thousands of properties to the local council. Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) said it would "temporarily" give control to Kensington and Chelsea Council. The council voted in September to end the contract, a month after the TMO was stripped of responsibility for managing homes in the estate around the tower. The TMO managed almost 10,000 homes. It was heavily criticised after the 14 June fire, in which 71 people died. Read more on the BBC website.

Tenants Seek Legal Advice On Winding Up Of KCTMO

Tenants are seeking “urgent confirmation” that a vote for Kensington and Chelsea Council to become the sole member of KCTMO will be postponed. Following Theresa May’s recent intervention telling residents that KCTMO would no longer manage their homes, the management wrote to tenants and advised them to vote for the TMO to continue for a “limited period” at the annual general meeting tomorrow to allow for “meaningful consultation and an orderly handover of services”. The TMO also proposed the council becomes the sole member of the TMO so that it remains a legal entity while the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is ongoing. Read more on Inside Housing.

Council Votes To Terminate Contract With KCTMO

At its second full council meeting since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in June, the council formally agreed to plans to remove Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) from the management of almost 10,000 council homes in the borough. Kim Taylor-Smith, deputy leader of the council, said: “Residents of the council, the government and the TMO itself have come to the conclusion that after the tragedy of 15 June the TMO no longer has the trust of residents in the borough. “In light of this we are working with the TMO to terminate the contract with the council.” Read more on Inside Housing.

Grenfell ALMO ‘No Longer Viable’ To Manage Homes

The ALMO at the centre of the Grenfell disaster is “no longer a viable option” to manage housing stock and faces being dissolved. Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) was effectively stripped of its responsibilities for the tower and its surrounding estate earlier this week. Now it looks likely to lose all of its near 10,000 homes in the borough. Kensington & Chelsea Council has confirmed it is in talks with housing providers over alternative management for its social housing portfolio. Read more on 24housing.

Grenfell Council Gained £50m From Affordable Housing Deals

The council that ran the Grenfell Tower block struck deals worth nearly £50m last year to allow developers to avoid having to build affordable homes. Kensington and Chelsea's own analysis shows it has built a fraction of the social housing the borough needs. Developers can pay a fee if they can convince the council that affordable homes would make their plans unviable. The council said it struggled to build affordable homes in a crowded area. Read more on the BBC.