Royal Borough Of Kensington & Chelsea - incompetent, inexperienced or those in charge just didn't care? - your thoughts!
Local authority shortcomings contribute to vulnerability of residents in fire
The management of fire safety at Grenfell Tower was largely in the hands of two organisations: the local authority, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC); and its arms-length tenant management organisation (TMO), which was responsible for the day-to-day running of the council’s housing.
RBKC’s oversight of the TMO’s performance was “weak” and fire safety was not subject to any key performance indicator. “The absence of any independent or rigorous scrutiny by RBKC of the TMO’s performance of its health and safety obligations, and in particular its management of fire safety, was a particular weakness,”
“Chronic and systemic” failings
The report goes on to say that although there was a satisfactory system for senior management to report to the board and to RBKC, it did not operate effectively because of “an entrenched reluctance on the part of the TMO’s chief executive, Robert Black, to inform the board and RBKC’s scrutiny committees of matters that affected fire safety”. That failure was all the more serious because there were “chronic and systemic” failings in the TMO’s management of fire safety, of which the board should have been made aware. “Robert Black consistently failed to tell either the board or RBKC of the London Fire Brigade’s concerns about the TMO’s compliance with the Fire Safety Order or the steps taken to enforce it.”
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Local authority shortcomings
In terms of its building control functions, the inquiry found that RBKC did not properly scrutinise the design of the refurbishment or the choice of materials, and failed to satisfy itself that the building would comply with the requirements of the Building Regulations. As such, it bears “considerable responsibility” for the dangerous condition of the building. In addition, the surveyor responsible for the refurbishment was “overworked, inadequately trained and had a very limited understanding of the risks associated with the use of ACM panels”
The report is also scathing about the relationship between the TMO and the residents of Grenfell Tower, with relations “increasingly characterised by distrust, dislike, personal antagonism and anger”.
Exerpts taken from the article - SHP Grenfell Tower Report - Ron Alalouff 10/09/2024