Even After Hackett, Could there be another Grenfell?

Even with the most horrific events, memories fade and the sense of urgency wanes. Five years on from the Grenfell tragedy and the subsequent Hackett Review, it’s worth taking stock and asking whether residents in high rise blocks are substantially safer than five years ago.

For social landlords, there’s also the question of what they can and should be doing while we await more detailed regulations in the wake of the Fire Safety Act.

The Grenfell Tower inquiry has unveiled in shocking detail the events that led to unsafe cladding being applied, not just to Grenfell Tower, but to hundreds of other high rise blocks across the country. As of the end of April there were 111 buildings in England where remedial action was still to be completed – almost all in the private sector.

Has the Culture Changed?

Speakers at the Housing 2022 conference questioned whether we were seeing the hoped-for cultural change in the industry to put safety as the top priority. One consultant at the conference reported a specification for remedial work that filled just two sheets of A4 with the contract awarded to the lowest bidder. Hopefully this is the exception rather than the rule.

Building standards were only part of the Grenfell story. Other factors were residents’ concerns going unheard, poor maintenance standards and an inadequate safety compliance regime. The Social Housing Regulation Bill aims to address these concerns. But we’re five years on from the tragedy and who knows how long the bill will take to go through the current unstable parliament.

Ready for the New Regulator?

It’s clear, however, that there’s a new regulatory regime on the way that social landlords need to prepare for. The bill proposes that the Regulator of Social Housing will have stronger powers to issue unlimited fines, enter properties with only 48 hours’ notice and make emergency repairs where there is a serious risk to tenants.

While the timetable for the bill may be unclear there are no big questions about the content. Many social landlords are starting to act now to reduce their risk profile. They’re doing this by streamlining repair and maintenance operations, tightening compliance regimes and enhancing their processes for consulting residents.

Osborne has a track record of helping social landlords improve their performance in all of these areas, including  maintaining 100% safety compliance.

To find out more contact Jo Fletcher ([email protected]) or visit our resource centre.