‘On 14 June 2017 a fire broke out in Grenfell Tower on the Lancaster West Estate, social housing in North Kensington, London. In just a few hours, the fire spread rapidly through the tower block resulting in 72 deaths. Described as ‘one of the most deadly preventable disasters in recent British history’, the fire, which began in a fridge-freezer, spread rapidly to the external walls and consumed almost the entire building within a short time due to the Tower’s construction from wholly inappropriate materials: highly flammable combustible polyethylene cladding boards which had been installed on its exterior. Today the skeleton of what is left of the Tower is shrouded in a protective wrap. The Government has recently announced that it will demolish the Tower gradually, a decision which has been met with a mixed response from the local community: some see the Tower as a living memorial or ‘burial ground’ for those who were lost, but others argue that it is a painful reminder of tragedy and an ongoing safety risk.’
Law and Humanities, 13th May 2025
Source: www.tandfonline.com
