Poor conditions highlighted by Grenfell Action Group

Fire engulfed a 27-storey block of flats in central London on Wednesday, killing some people, injuring at least 30 more and trapping some residents asleep inside the towering inferno.

While the fire brigade has said it’s too early to say anything about the cause of the fire that has led to a number of casualties, attention has begun to focus on the state of the building, which had recently been refurbished, to a new exterior cladding system to improve insulation and its appearance.

There had also been a problem with the gas service, which the National Grid had been dealing with a local councillor told BBC Radio on Wednesday morning. People in the area had noted large amount of ash like material floating across the area, and potentially bits of cladding.

Also causing concern and anger is a blog of the Grenfell Action Group, which had been highlighting the number of warnings they had issued in recent years about the “very poor fire safety standards” at Grenfell Tower.

In a blog from November last year the Action group warned that “only a catastrophic event will expose the ineptitude and incompetence of our landlord, the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Association, and bring an end to the dangerous living conditions and neglect of health and safety legislation that they inflict upon their tenants and leaseholders.”

About Grenfell Tower

The apartment block - home to 120 apartments over 24 floors- lies within the London borough of Kensington and Chelsea - which, like most central boroughs, is one of sharp contrasts where affluence and poverty exist side by side. The Grenfell Tower stands on the Lancaster West Estate, home to a largely working class, multi cultural community.

It was built in 1974 and is managed by the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation on behalf of the Council. It has been undergoing major refurbishment. “The large scale works included the installation of insulated exterior cladding, new double-glazed windows and a new communal heating system. A new communal entrance has been created and there are new facilities for returning tenants, Grenfell Under 3s Nursery and Dale Youth Amateur Boxing Club. Nine much needed new homes have been created from unused spaces,” says Kensington and Chelsea on its website.

Attention is now turning towards the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation, which manages some 10,000 homes owned by the Council across the borough. It was established in 1996, as part of efforts to put management of homes in the hands of residents. The Grenfell Action Group was formed in 2010 to oppose the construction of the “Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre project “ to be built within the Lancaster West Estate at the cost of outdoor space. However since then it has been active in highlighting concerns about residents more widely - which included concerns about fire safety.