This catastrophe was inevitable... but our warnings fell on deaf ears, say residents
RESIDENTS had been warning for four years that the tower block engulfed in flames was a fire risk and a “catastrophe” was inevitable.
Kensington Borough Council and its property management company Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) have been accused of routinely dismissing warnings about a litany of failures that left the building exposed.
As they watched the fire take hold, the Grenfell Action Group wrote on their blog: “All our warnings fell on deaf ears and we predicted that a catastrophe like this was inevitable and just a matter of time.”
In seven separate posts since 2013 the group raised a number of issues, including that there were was not sufficient access to the block, that the only stairs out of the building were not a sufficient fire escape and were badly lit and that fire safety equipment was not being tested properly and some of it had even been condemned.
In March they also threatened legal action over the installation of new gas pipes which were entirely exposed and the promised boxing was never delivered. Gas works have been going on since Christmas, one resident said.
There were no safety warnings detailing what to do in the event of a fire until March, after numerous complaints from residents.
However, the instructions telling residents to stay inside and shut their doors may also come under scrutiny, as it emerged that those who did may have been engulfed by the fire.
Experts explained that standard procedure is to attempt to contain the fire in the building and the residents in their homes, but many said they had never seen an inferno such as the one that swept through Grenfell Tower.
It is feared it may have spread up the outside of the tower block through the cladding, which neither the management company nor the fire service were prepared for despite warnings to local councils following other fires.
There were no sprinklers in the building, which was built in the 1970s but had last year undergone a £10 million refurbishment, and the fire alarms could only be heard in the communal areas, residents who had escaped the fire said yesterday.
In November a prescient warning appeared on the blog saying that “only an incident that results in serious loss of life” would bring much-needed scrutiny, with the group adding: “They can’t say that they haven’t been warned.”
But demands for a review of fire safety, updates to the building and even a review of KTCMO’S management were ignored by both the council and the company, they claim.
Edward Daffarn, chair of the Grenfell Action Group and a resident, claimed he and other members had been “harassed” and “bullied” by KCTMO over the blog. “We’ve had letters and warnings from them. We’ve been bullied, told to take it down. We warned them and they took no notice.the council didn’t want to know.”
It emerged yesterday that KTCMO had been ordered by the London Fire Brigade to make safety improvements to two other blocks that it managed after a serious fire in 2015. David Collins, former chair of the Grenfell Residents Association, said the and Mr Daffarne had given a presentation to councillors in Kensington last year, but their concerns had been ignored and dismissed by the KCTMO.
“In 2016 we took a petition signed by 90 per cent of residents to the council. Eddie and I presented our concerns to the Housing Scrutiny Committee of Kensington and Chelsea Council. We told them that we had serious concerns over the safety of the building, the potential fire hazard and lack of safe exit routes, and of the general maintenance of the building. Robert Black, the CEO of the TMO stood up and said ‘no, that’s not an issue’.”
Mr Collins added: “I had the contract manager of Ryden Management knock on my door during the refurbishment. He was very aggressive with me, he said “why should we listen to you?”
Daniel Renwick, 29, a member of the Grenfell Action Group, said the failure to act on their concerns was allegedly “evidence of the disrespect that’s been shown” by Kensington Council.
“Now it appears that cladding they put on last year is responsible for what you see today. That cladding was put up not to improve the residents’ lives, but to window dress this area in order to attract the big developers.”
Councillor Judith Blakeman said KCTMO told her its health and safety officers and the fire brigade had inspected the building and that everyone was “quite happy”. KTCMO said in a statement: “KCTMO, in conjunction with RBKC and others, is doing everything it can to assist the residents of Grenfell Tower and those affected by the tragedy. This will remain our immediate concern and focus.
“It is too early to speculate what caused the fire. We will co-operate fully with all the relevant authorities in order to ascertain the cause of this tragedy. We are aware that concerns have been raised historically by residents. We always take all concerns seriously and these will form part of our forthcoming investigations.”
Cllr Nick Paget-brown said: “This is a terrible day for Kensington and Chelsea and we are doing all we can to support the victims and their families. But the cause of the fire will need to be fully investigated.”