Grenfell Tower to be demolished amid safety concerns

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The Minister for Housing, Robert Jenrick, has been told the building poses a danger to the local community including Aldridge Academy High School in west London, which is located near the building’s remains.

According to the Sunday Times, senior Whitehall sources said government-appointed structural engineering experts had “unequivocally and unanimously” recommended that the tower be “carefully removed”.

Bereaved families have been told that a decision will be made about the future of the tower this month.

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Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved families, said they were “shocked” by the development, “given the government’s promise not to make any decision about the future of the tower without full consultation with the victims and survivors”.

“The government has engaged with fewer than 10 victims and survivors on this issue, so far, and with such a wide range of viewpoints across all affected families, we struggle to understand why this is being pushed so quickly,” they said. .

“Given what we’ve been through, safety has always been of paramount importance and we have prior assurances that the tower can remain safe for as long as necessary, and that it poses no danger to the community around it.”

In May, relatives of Grenfell Tower victims suggested turning the site into a “vertical forest” after the government announced it was ready to demolish the building.

The Observer reported that the structure would have been covered with 72 different types of plants to represent everyone who died in the fire in June 2017.

This came as the government published a letter revealing that it was considering whether and when Grenfell Tower should be removed, stressing that “the views of the community” would be taken into account.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said: “We know how important and sensitive this decision is and no decision has been made.

“Following important independent safety advice from structural engineers, we are collaborating closely with the community as we examine the evidence, including safety concerns raised, and what the future of Grenfell Tower should look like.”

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