‘Unsafe’ Grenfell Tower is now set to be demolished
THE Government is poised to announce that Grenfell Tower will be demolished, insiders said last night.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick is expected to make a decision on the future of the tower ‘sooner rather than later’, a well-placed source said.
The decision to demolish the building is seen as a formality, after the advice was ‘quite clear’ that it would be safer to do so.
‘The safety advice is quite clear that in the long term the tower isn’t viable,’ the source said.
Plans will be drawn up for a memorial on the site for the 72 people who died when fire ripped through the North Kensington tower block on June 14, 2017.
Ministers have vowed nothing will happen to the tower until the fifth anniversary of the tragedy, but engineers have recommended that work should start on bringing it down in May next year.
A legal restriction means the community must agree what the land is used for in future, and over the past few months officials have been consulting local residents after receiving expert advice that the tower should be ‘carefully taken down’.
It is understood the safety advice has been explained to survivors and bereaved families. Concerns have also been raised over risks that the building may pose to the neighbouring Kensington Aldridge Academy secondary school.
Structural engineering firm Atkins, which was consulted by the Housing Ministry, has concluded the tower is too badly damaged to save and ‘should be deconstructed at the earliest possible opportunity’, with work ideally starting no later than May.
They said the advice was based on ‘protecting the safety of those working in and living around the tower’.
The building is understood to be affected by asbestos and extensive flooding damage.
An independent Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission, made up of representatives of the bereaved, survivors and local residents, will establish plans for the memorial.
A Housing Ministry spokesman said: ‘We know how important and sensitive this decision is and no decision has been taken.
‘Following important independent safety advice from structural engineers, we are engaging closely with the community as we consider the evidence including the safety concerns raised, and what the future of the Grenfell Tower should be.
‘We have now published this advice to ensure those most affected have access to the information that will inform a decision on the tower, before one is reached.’