The Grenfell Tower Inquiry published its final Phase 2 report on 4 September 2024, more than seven years after the fire in west London in which 72 people died. The report, chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick and published in seven volumes on GOV.UK, concludes that the deaths were all avoidable and that residents were badly failed over many years by those responsible for their safety.
Corporate INTL Newsroom · Construction
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Publishes Its Phase 2 Final Report
By The Corporate INTL Newsroom · 5 September 2024
Main findings
As summarised by the Prime Minister in his statement to the House of Commons, the Inquiry found decades of failure by central government, which had many opportunities between the Knowsley Heights fire in 1991 and the Grenfell fire in 2017 to identify the risks of combustible cladding panels and insulation, and was aware of those risks by 2016 but failed to act.
The report also found systematic dishonesty by those who made and sold the rainscreen cladding panels and insulation products, including deliberate strategies to manipulate testing, misrepresent test data and mislead the market. It criticised Local Authority Building Control for failing to ensure that the certificates it issued were technically accurate, the Building Research Establishment for unprofessional conduct and a lack of rigour, the Tenant Management Organisation, and the London Fire Brigade for a chronic lack of effective management and leadership.
The government's response
The Prime Minister apologised on behalf of the British state. He said the government would consider all 58 recommendations, respond in full within six months and update Parliament annually on its progress. The government will write to all companies the Inquiry found to have been part of the failings, as a first step towards stopping them from being awarded government contracts, and will support the police and prosecutors in completing their investigations.
The statement also committed to faster remediation of buildings that still have unsafe cladding, including a willingness to require freeholders to assess buildings and enter remediation schemes within set timetables, and to reform of the construction products industry.
What it means for the sector
For developers, contractors, product manufacturers, building control bodies and landlords, the report is likely to shape the next stage of building safety regulation and procurement policy. The criminal investigations are continuing, and the government said it would avoid any step that could compromise future prosecutions.
Sources
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