Grenfell community gathers for final anniversary before tower demolition begins
It is thought the earliest that demolition will start is September and the process is expected to take around two years.
On Saturday evening, the annual silent walk will take place in west London to mark eight years since the blaze, followed by the reading of the names of the 72 dead, and speeches by campaigners.
What is left of the tower has stood in place in the years since the disaster, with a covering on the building featuring a large green heart accompanied by the words 'forever in our hearts'.
News of the Government's demolition decision earlier this year was met with criticism from some bereaved and survivors of the 2017 fire who expressed their upset and shock, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was taken.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner later said in an interview that she knew the meeting with those most closely affected was going to be 'really difficult' and that there was 'not a consensus' among everyone over what should happen to the tower.
Views have varied, with her department acknowledging there had been hopes for some of it to remain in place as a memorial to what happened while others had reported this would be 'too painful'.
The Government confirmed in February that engineering advice is that the tower 'is significantly damaged' and will get worse with time.
Separately, the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial in the area of the tower, with recommendations including a 'sacred space', designed to be a 'peaceful place for remembering and reflecting'.
It is expected a planning application for a memorial could be submitted in late 2026.
The Government said it will also share further information about plans for a second site where materials from the tower 'which are not used in the memorial, or conserved, will be safely and respectfully laid to rest'.
Grenfell survivor Edward Daffarn said this year's anniversary will be 'all the more poignant by the fact that this is the last time that we will meet with the tower in situ'.
He added that it is difficult to think the tower will be pulled down 'before we have obtained any justice and while there are still people living in buildings with dangerous cladding'.
According to the Government's latest figures, published last month, there were 5,052 residential buildings in England which are 11 metres or taller identified as having unsafe cladding as of the end of April.
Fewer than half – 2,477 buildings or 49% – had either started or completed remediation works, with just a third – 1,652 buildings or 33% – having had remediation works finished.
Labour unveiled its remediation acceleration plan last year, pledging that, by the end of 2029, all buildings more than 59ft (18m) tall with unsafe cladding that are on a Government scheme will have been remediated.
For buildings over 11 metres with unsafe cladding, within the same timeframe those will either have been remediated, have a date for completion or the landlords will be liable for severe penalties, the Government said.
A spokesperson for Grenfell Next of Kin, which represents some of the bereaved, said: 'Eight years have passed, yet it feels just like yesterday when we frantically moved from door to door, hospital to hospital, searching for our loved ones.
'Our parents, children, partners, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, were lost to a tragedy that was both horrific and unjust. The aftermath has been equally devastating.'
They said they have been 'granted one final chance to visit inside and pay our last respects' ahead of the 'dismantling of the Tower—a site where our loved ones were turned to ashes'.
The story of what happened at Grenfell, and the failures which led to the fire, are explored in a new documentary which will air on Netflix on June 20.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Channel 4
2 days ago
- Channel 4
Britain's forgotten suburbs – where Farage is seen as the saviour
Unless you live in this part of the East Midlands, you'd have little reason to go there. Chilwell is six miles from the centre of Nottingham – an emerald green landscape, like much of Nottinghamshire, surrounded by farmers' fields. Peppered with moderately affluent areas and council estates, it's nowhere in particular and yet somehow feels reflective of everywhere in the UK. One part of the estate is known as 'Inham Nook', although some don't like that name, due to negative connotations from the past. It's an area that's had a bad reputation, largely based on other people's assumptions, and often from those who don't have any experience of living there. It's also undeniable some of the area's problems have been hidden in plain sight. Suburbs are often overlooked, with the affluent surrounding areas masking the daily reality for many people. Despite never featuring on any of the 'most deprived lists', there are high rates of deprivation in this area, with some streets in the neighbourhood sitting within the top 10 per cent for child poverty in England. We met Kayleigh Purvis, 33, a cook at one of the local schools. Yet she told us she's using services from a local food hub so that her family doesn't go hungry. She's had periods of sickness off work while dealing with mental health and housing issues. Like so many over the years, she is exhausted from dealing with what feels like the cumulative failures of everyone 'above'. Kayleigh told us: 'The council thinks they're above it… prime ministers, police officers, I know they're all normal people… but everything they do affects us because we're at the bottom. They think 'oh you're sat on your arse all day' and it's not the case, a lot of us do work. They make us feel like the scum of the earth.' So, in Chilwell they help each other, and there are helpers everywhere. Michelle Adkin runs Chelsey's cafe and a food bank, where no referral is needed, at the heart of the estate on the Inham Nook Recreation Ground. Everyone we spoke to said it was a 'godsend' and Michelle told us how work simply wasn't paying for many people: 'You can work two jobs, or have two parents working two full time jobs, and they haven't got two pennies to rub together at the end of a week. They are the ones who need the help, too.' A lot of the people we spoke to on the estate said they would be voting Reform UK at the next General Election, and the recent local elections saw the vote split between Reform UK and Labour in this area. We asked why Nigel Farage had convinced them, given his private education and former employment as a City trader, making his lived experience the polar opposite from theirs. Geraldine Kirchen-Jones, who moved to the area ten years ago, told us: 'At the minute it doesn't feel like Labour are doing anything for us. It feels like they want to exclude and they want to penalise. The difference to me is it feels like [Nigel Farage] is listening and he wants to do something to help rather than reading something that's scripted.' Paul Groves, a retired dental technician, says he intends to vote Reform UK after voting Conservative all his life. He thinks that things have improved for the estate's worst off but is switching his vote anyway: 'Every day on the news you see more and more people coming across the channel. I mean, where's this 'smash the gangs' gone? They're not doing much smashing. That's why everyone wants to come to Britain, because we're a soft touch.' – Paul Groves These voters are coming to this conclusion after years of feeling invisible to all those who hold power, and never seeing their daily reality reflected in the media or by politicians' policies. The current Labour government says it's determined to make change for people in places like Inham Nook, saying it wants people to feel better off and it's working hard to demonstrate the change it wants in communities. But some people living on the estate feel they're dealing with a shopping list that goes back years: the cost of living, crime, poor management of housing, and never ending hurdles or changes within the benefits system. Even for those who are doing well, there's a sense that they're looked down on just because of where they're from, which can feel completely unfair. Because there is good – and a lot of it is coming from the community itself – but there's also frustration and fatigue. Farage claims billions of savings possible under Reform UK One year under Starmer: has Labour delivered change? Has Starmer kept his election promises? Labour's first year explained
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Scottish Sun
Ancient English town ranked among ‘worst places to live' unveils £33m revamp as it demolishes ‘dilapidated' station
The development is set to open this summer FIRST GLIMPSE Ancient English town ranked among 'worst places to live' unveils £33m revamp as it demolishes 'dilapidated' station Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A £33 MILLION revamp of an historic town is set to be unveiled next month. The revamp has transformed the town's transport networks. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 3 The £33 million development would improve bus routes on Fleming Way, Swindon Credit: Swindon Borough Council 3 The road is set to re-open in August, with bus routes starting on August 31 Credit: Swindon Borough Council 3 Proposals included planting trees and bushes to increase biodiversity in the area Credit: Swindon Borough Council It comes after the town was previously named among the worst places to live after it was branded a "gang capital". Development reveal The investment has transformed Fleming Way in Swindon as it is turned into a new bus boulevard. After three years of work, the fencing is set to come down from August 15. Once the new transport hub is up and running, the existing bus station is set to be demolished. Local bus companies will begin their services from Fleming Way from August 31. As well as the new transport hub, the revamp brings a number of improvements to the area. This includes new benches, bike racks and waste bins, in addition to more than 185 trees and 23,000 plants and bushes. Planning proposals A Swindon Borough Council spokesperson said that there would also be new bus shelters to improve wheelchair accessibility. The new shelters will also include wireless charging, digital screens that display up-to-date departure times, and solar panels. A total of 27 new bus stops were planned in the proposal. Our pretty town has become a ghetto plagued by machete-wielding yobs They said: "The new road will also create a better space for bus services around Swindon and the surrounding areas, as well as allow for national and inner-city routes. "New cycle lanes have also been added, connecting the town's two main cycle routes so cyclists can travel through Swindon or to the town centre." In previous planning proposals for the development, the council said it hoped to "help the town centre transition from a past dominated by retail, to a future destination where people live, work, socialise and study." It would make Fleming Way the "main gateway" for the town centre. The development focused primarily on transport in the area, improving connectivity to the train station and creating a safer route throughout the town centre. Improvements to the wider area In addition to the improvements to transportation, the council estimated that it would increase surrounding land value by £34 million. This in turn would bring more investors into the area, bringing new homes, offices, shops and leisure facilities for locals. Funding for the project came in part from the Government, who supplied £25 million. It was based on a proposal that demonstrated that the improvements would increase Swindon's economic productivity by £28.7 million over the first 20 yearws. The space freed up by the demolition of the bus station from the 1960s will be incorporated into the regeneration of a 20-acre site next to Zurich's office building. Proposals also included the removal of the Fleming Way subway to make the road the same level as the town centre shopping area and the parade. Traffic lights have been installed to increase pedestrian safety.
The Sun
3 days ago
- The Sun
Major update as 600,000 households owed up to £12k in PIP cash following errors – could you be owed cash?
HUNDREDS of thousands of benefit claimants could still be owed cash from the Government after a payment error. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has spent years reviewing the cases of hundreds of thousands of people who could have been underpaid. In a new update, it said an estimated 633,338 households receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) are thought to have been affected. The Government department says it has reviewed 308,665 records in the time up to March this year. A huge £250million has already been paid out to PIP claimants who were missing cash. But that leaves a whopping 324,673 cases still expected to be reviewed. The review was launched after a Supreme Court judgment in July 2019 that changed the way the DWP defines 'social support' in one of the assessed PIP categories. Dubbed the "MM judgement", the DWP realised that hundreds of thousands could now be due additional support. It means that people may not have been given one of the two elements of PIP when they were actually entitled to it. Others may have been awarded the standard rate but should have received the enhanced rate, which is a higher amount. The DWP began its review in 2021, looking at PIP claims since April 6, 2016 to check whether claimants may be eligible for more support. By March last year it had reviewed 219,080 cases. The latest figures suggest it's managed to get through a further 89,585 cases in the last year. Changes to UC & PIP payments in full as Labour reveals bruising welfare bill concessions in bid to quell rebellion People who are found to have been underpaid have been receiving back payments. The amount each person receives will vary but the average payout works out at around £5,285 per claim. The Sun previously reported on one couple on PIP who had been left "shell-shocked" after learning that they were due £12,000 in back payments. What is PIP? HOUSEHOLDS suffering from a long-term illness, disability or mental health condition can get extra help through personal independence payments (PIP). The maximum you can receive from the Government benefit is £187.45 a week. PIP is for those over 16 and under the state pension age, currently 66. Crucially, you must also have a health condition or disability where you either have had difficulties with daily living or getting around - or both- for three months, and you expect these difficulties to continue for at least nine months (unless you're terminally ill with less than 12 months to live). You can also claim PIP if you're in or out of work and if you're already getting limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) payments if you claim Universal Credit. PIP is made up of two parts and whether you get one or both of these depends on how severely your condition affects you. You may get the mobility part of PIP if you need help going out or moving around. The weekly rate for this is either £29.20 or £77.05. While on the daily living part of PIP, the weekly rate is either £73.90 or £110.40 - and you could get both elements, so up to £184.30 in total. You can claim PIP at the same time as other benefits, except the armed forces independence payment. Make a claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 917 2222. Who is affected? There are two elements to PIP - a daily living part if you need help with everyday tasks, and a mobility part if you need help with getting around. Claimants eligible for each element are then awarded a standard or enhanced allowance. You can get the daily living part of PIP if you struggle to carry out "daily living activities" such as bathing or preparing food. Claimants are scored on how able they are to do each task. This determines whether you're able to receive the PIP payment, and if you have a high score you're more likely to be awarded the enhanced payment. The standard allowance for the daily living part of PIP is currently worth £73.90 a week and the enhanced rate is worth £110.40 a week. The 2019 Supreme Court judgment decided that PIP claimants could receive additional points for one of the activities scored - socialising and being around other people. It means that people may have not been entitled to the daily living element of PIP when they were actually entitled to it. Others may have been awarded the standard rate but should have actually received the enhanced rate. The DWP is now reviewing the cases of people who might have been affected by this. However it won't review your claim if: The enhanced rate of the daily living part of PIP has been awarded continuously since April 6, 2016 A Tribunal made a decision on a claim since April 6, 2016 A decision not to award PIP was made before April 6, 2016. New PIP errors The DWP also revealed it had discovered two "new" errors in the last year relating to PIP payments. This includes PIP claimants without a National Insurance number not having their application progressed correctly – despite an NI number not being needed for a claim. Some 455 cases of this were reviewed in the last year with £500,000 paid out. The DWP has also paid out £13million to Scottish PIP claimants who mistakenly saw a "loss of entitlement" when they tried moving over to the Adult Disability Payment (ADP). Almost 4,700 records of this have been reviewed, with another 176 cases still to be looked at. How do I appeal a PIP decision? If you've been contacted by the DWP or think you are affected by the MM judgement, you'll need to appeal your PIP decision. If you think a PIP decision was wrong, you can challenge it. If you've been contacted by the DWP or think your PIP payments may be affected by the MM judgment, you should ask for a "mandatory reconsideration notice". This is where the DWP looks at your claim decision again. If you are still unhappy with this outcome, you can then appeal to an independent tribunal. You must send your appeal form within one month of the date shown on the mandatory reconsideration notice. Be aware that it usually takes up to six months for an appeal to be heard by the tribunal. Before it gets to the tribunal, the DWP can make a revision to the original claim. If you're unhappy with the decision you get from the tribunal, you may also be able to get the decision cancelled - known as "set aside". You'll be told how to do this at the time. Another option is to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) if you think the tribunal wasn't able to give you proper reasons for its decision, or back up the decision with facts, or if it failed to apply the law properly.
