The long-awaited final report by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry is set to be published on Wednesday, leaving survivors of the tower block fire and bereaved loved ones feeling a mixture of hope and apprehension.
Some bereaved loved ones and survivors of the June 2017 fire have expressed doubt that the publication will give them closure. Sandra Ruiz, whose 12-year-old niece Jessica Urbano Ramirez was among the 72 people killed, said it must be a “landmark report” that prompts “cultural, institutional and legislative change”.
However, she added that “there’s no justice without people going behind bars” as she urged the Metropolitan Police not to “drag this out another seven years”.
Conditions that allowed the flames to spread so quickly across the high-rise building in West London, and the decision making that led to the installation of highly combustible cladding will be examined in the phase two report.
Many unanswered questions remain about the Grenfell Tower fire, including what will happen to the building itself, the remains of which are still standing in North Kensington.
What will happen to Grenfell Tower?
In the seven years since the Grenfell Tower tragedy, there have been mixed messages over the future of the tower block – much to the frustration of campaigners and former residents.
The government sent residents a letter in 2021 claiming it had received “important advice about the condition of the tower” and that it needed to consider if, and when, “the tower should be carefully taken down to maintain safety”.
It said it would take the views of the community into account, but many survivors and campaigners pushed back, accusing the government of not consulting them properly, and expressing concerns over the building being demolished while the inquiry was still ongoing.
A report in the Sunday Times in September 2021 claimed ministers were set to announce the tower’s demolition on advice of structural engineering experts hired by the government. Two months later, then-recently appointed housing secretary Michael Gove apologised for the leaked reports and said he was “truly sorry” for the “tremendous and justified upset”.
He pledged to take a “different approach”, but not much has happened since then. Late last year, residents and relatives said they felt “left in limbo” after a £21.3m contract was tendered to provide maintenance and security for the tower until July 2027.
Click below to see the latest London headlines
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission, set up in 2018, is overseeing plans for a permanent memorial at the site. Its recommendations include a garden, a monument or other built structure and a design displaying the “rich mix of faiths and cultural backgrounds that make up the Grenfell community”.
It adds that the community “must always remain at the centre of decisions about the memorial”. One option being considered is a vertical garden tower (sketches of which are pictured above) based on an idea by Italian architect Stefan Boeri.
Will Grenfell Tower be demolished?
No firm decisions have been made about Grenfell Tower’s future yet.
Early this year, Kimia Zabihyan, from the Grenfell Next of Kin group told BBC Radio 4 that the tower was a “sacred place for those who lost their parents and children and siblings and partners”, which could explain why plans for a vertical garden have gained support.
Speaking to New Civil Engineer in 2021, National Federation of Demolition Contractors chief executive Howard Button said demolishing the block would not be straightforward. The rebar could be in a very bad state. The structural stability of the building must have degraded,” he said.
“It must be a horrible building to go into. I wouldn’t want to be going in and clearing it. It is going to be very challenging.”
Yahoo News has contacted the Ministry of Housing – which took ownership of the site after the fire – and the Justice4Grenfell group for updates on when, if at all, the building could be demolished.