Leader commits to ‘credible, honest and community-led’ Inquiry report response

Kensington and Chelsea Council Leader Cllr Elizabeth Campbell reflected on the authority's progress on meeting recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry at July's Full Council meeting.

Cllr Campbell described the moment the Inquiry is due to publish its findings on 4 September as "hugely significant for our communities" and promised the Council will treat it with the same significance as a "lasting legacy from Grenfell".

With six weeks to go until the Inquiry publishes its final report, Cllr Campbell noted that "actions speak louder than words" with a speech focusing on how the Council has acted on measures from the Inquiry's first phase to enhance building and resident safety.

She also committed to providing a "credible, honest and community-led" response to the Inquiry's Phase Two recommendations.

Since the publication of the Inquiry's phase one report, the Council has completed 98 per cent of a programme to replace more than 3,000 fire doors in higher-risk buildings, written to all residents about person-centred fire risk assessments and has carried out a comprehensive fire risk appraisal programme for external walls on higher-risk buildings.

Progress following the Grenfell Inquiry's Phase One report:

External walls: We have completed fire risk appraisals of external walls on all of our higher-risk buildings. We also sent information on the composition of all our buildings requiring fire risk assessments to the London Fire Brigade before any legal requirement to do so.

Fire doors: The Inquiry called for urgent inspection of all fire doors and to ensure all relevant doors are fitted with self-closers. The Council has completed 98 per cent of its fire door replacement programme for high-er risk buildings, replacing more than 3,000 doors. Front entrance doors are tested annually in buildings over 11m and 99.6 per cent of communal doors, which are tested quarterly, passed their inspection in January 2024. Additionally, a further 1,410 fire doors will be replaced in lower-risk, low-rise buildings by the end of 2024.

Person-Centred Fire Risk Assessments (PCFRAs) and Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs): The Council has written to all residents to offer Person Centred Fire Risk Assessments, with any vulnerable residents identified during the PCFRA process offered a PEEP. As of June 2024, 748 PCFRAs have been completed and 362 PEEPs issued.

Security Information Boxes (SIBs): SIBs have been installed on all residential buildings over 11m, going further than the recommendation of adding them to buildings of 18m and taller.

Lift inspections: The Council has implemented monthly lift inspections, including the lift switches which allow firefighters to take control of lifts.

Evacuation plans: Fire safety booklets have been sent to all Council tenants and leaseholders explaining evacuation procedures for specific blocks. Floor plans showing the layouts of all Council-owned high-rise buildings are shared with the London Fire Brigade and stored in building SIBs.

Internal signage: The Inquiry call for all high-rise buildings' floor numbers to be clearly marked on each landing. This recommendation was completed ahead of the deadline of January 2023.

The July meeting of Kensington and Chelsea's Full Council takes place from 6:30pm on Wednesday 24 July. You can view the agenda here and watch live or catch up after the event via the Council's YouTube channel.

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