Grenfell families’ relationship with council is ‘going backwards’

THE relationship between the council and the community affected by the Grenfell Tower fire is “going backwards” in some respects, according to a watchdog.

The blaze in June 2017 at the 24-storey block of flats in North Kensington caused the deaths of 72 people.

The Independent Grenfell Recovery Taskforce was set up in the aftermath to examine Kensington and Chelsea’s efforts to rebuild the community. In its most recent report it has told housing minister James Brokenshire that the council’s relationship with residents living in the shadow of the tower is “inconsistent and too frequently weak”.

The watchdog said the borough had rightly focused on the bereaved and survivors but added: “The relationship with the wider community in North Kensington has not made sufficient progress. In some respects, it is going backwards.” The authors said senior people had attended meetings, made promises but then were “never seen by the community again”.

The letter said K&C must do more to address the “hostility and mistrust” in communities and repair the damage their “inconsistency” had produced.

It comes at a time when some survivors and members of community have criticised the proposed shutdown of the Grenfell Recovery Scrutiny Committee, which monitors its own recover y efforts, such as rehousing survivors and services for the bereaved. They fear they will be “forgotten” by the council which has said scrutiny would be carried out by other committees on the council.

It is the fourth report by the watchdog, headed by Baroness Jane Scott, into the borough which came under fierce criticism after the blaze. The authors recognise there has been “significant change” at the council, but say there are “strategic weaknesses” that concern them.

The report described K&C as a “broken organisation” in 2017 which felt “under siege” following the fire. However, the report says K&C has repaired itself, brought in a culture of change and functions well in some areas. A new council leader, Elizabeth Campbell, was brought in after the fire and 25 new councillors were elected last year who increased the diversity of what was a “very homogenous council”.

The institution is now “more open and responsive to people’s needs” whereas it was previously seen as “distant” and “traditional”, according to the letter.

But the report notes: “We have seen in public meetings unedifying behaviour from councillors from all sides: this gives cause for concern.”

Tory leader Ms Campbell said: “We understand that there is a lot more still to do. We are committed and we will work hard to make sure we continue to change, continue to provide good services, and improve our engagement with residents.” Mr Brokenshire said the taskforce had set the bar high for the borough’s recovery and he was assured the council had started action to meet many of the recommendations.

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