Another misconception was that the fire was unexpected. Yet there had been substantial concerns expressed about the building safety for several years:
From 2014 to 2016, a renovation of the Towers were undertaken as part of a redevelopment project around Lancaster Green. The new Kensington Leisure Centre had already been constructed to the east of the green, and the all-weather football pitches to the north of the tower were earmarked to become Kensington Academy. The renovation aimed to replace the substandard heating system, install new windows, improve the tower’s thermal efficiency, and enhance its appearance to complement the architectural style of the academy.
However, it was not long into the project that a variety of concerns and issues emerged. Originally intended to modernize the building, the refurbishment instead introduced new dangers. Cladding was installed to improve energy efficiency and aesthetics, but residents quickly grew suspicious. The materials felt cheap to the touch, and many questioned whether corners had been cut. Fears emerged that the cladding might be flammable—concerns that were dismissed by both contractors and management.
Residents also observed that fire safety procedures were either inconsistent or entirely absent. The building had no fire alarm system, no sprinklers, and no clear evacuation plan. When they asked how to escape in an emergency, they were told to “stay put”—advice that offered little comfort in a building they believed was unsafe. These were not vague complaints. The warnings were detailed, persistent, and specific. Residents identified blocked exits, questioned the legality of materials used, and asked why a high-rise housing hundreds of people lacked basic fire protections.
Yet time and again, those in authority responded with silence—or worse, dismissal. Residents were made to feel irrational. Their questions were met with defensiveness. Some were told that raising concerns might constitute harassment; others felt intimidated into silence. It was a dynamic familiar to many social housing tenants across the UK: structural inequality, bureaucratic indifference, and an imbalance of power that left communities vulnerable and unheard.
The Grenfell Action Group (GAG), a small group of determined local residents, began documenting these problems. Their blog became a public record of both what they were witnessing and how their attempts to raise issues were repeatedly brushed aside. Their posts grew more urgent over time, not just in tone, but in clarity. In 2013, they warned of “serious fire safety concerns.” In 2016, after yet another failed attempt to prompt action, they wrote hauntingly:
“It is our conviction that a serious fire in a tower block… is the most likely reason that those who wield power … will be found out and brought to justice!”
The video below, an extract from a Sky News report on the first tribunal, highlighted the legitimacy of those concerns.
Based on this evidence do you think ….