The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Podcast

The inquiry returned this week with evidence from the cladding manufacturer, Arconic. UK Sales Managers Deborah French admitted she had not read building regulation guidance on cladding installed on buildings over 18 metres. She also said that for reasons of cost Arconic continued to sell cladding panels with a combustible core after a number of high profile fires. Evidence also showed that Arconi...

The inquiry pauses for a few weeks because of the pandemic

The inquiry heard how technical staff from the insulation manufacturer Kingspan joked that claims about the fire performance of its insulation product – Kooltherm K15 - were “all lies” and the product should be scrapped. Kingspan also hired a PR consultancy firm to help it lobby MPs who were deciding the future of building regulations just six weeks after the fire at Grenfell Tower. Emails also sh...

The inquiry heard more evidence from insulation manufacturers Kingspan. Three of the company’s managers were questioned about their involvement in the testing and marketing of the company’s combustible insulation. The company’s Technical Manager said a contractor who had concerns about the use of Kingspan’s insulation had confused him “with someone who gives a damn”. The inquiry also revealed that...

Former staff from Kingspan, the manufacturer of an insulation product used on Grenfell Tower gave evidence this week. Technical Project Lead Ivor Meredith, admitted he was involved in a deliberate calculated deceit carried out by the company – aimed at achieving the best possible sales for its insulation products. Only a month ago Kingspan withdrew three large scale fire test reports after accepti...

Former staff from the insulation manufacturer Celotex admitted that they behaved unethically dishonestly and lied for commercial gain during their work to get a product approved for use on buildings over 18 metres in height. They admitted they adding a non-combustible material called magnesium oxide to ensure their cladding system passed a fire test and then hid details of that test from certifica...

The Module 2 opening statements concluded as the cladding manufacturers were accused of abusing their products’ testing and certification processes. Sam Stein, who represents a group of bereaved, survivors and and residents, said the panel “may well come to the conclusion that the manufacturers, Arconic, Kingspan, and Celotex are little more than crooks and killers.” They outlined how they say the...

Opening statements of Module 2 of the inquiry. The companies which manufactured the insulation and cladding products used on Grenfell Tower were accused of ‘sinister’ behaviour to distort fire tests conducted on their materials so that their products could be used on high rise residential buildings. Module 2 of the inquiry will examine how materials used on the tower were tested, approved, adverti...

The TMO conclude their evidence and the inquiry hears from expert witnesses Dr Barbara Lane & Beryl Menzies. Peter Maddison, former Director of Assets and Regeneration at the Kensington and Chelsea TMO said he knew meeting contractor Rydon before the conclusion of the tender process was a commercial risk but one worth taking. He also faced questions on the late submission of his diaries and no...

In October 2019 the Inquiry published its Phase 1 report, and as part of that, the chair of the Inquiry Sir Martin Moore-Bick, made 46 recommendations. They were directed at the government, the London Fire Brigade, fire and rescue and emergency services around the country, as well as landlords and managers of high rise residential buildings. To help us understand what progress has been made implem...

There was a surprising start to the week when it was revealed the TMO's Director of Assets and Regeneration, Peter Maddison, failed to submit evidence to the Inquiry until four days before he was due to be questioned.  It also emerged that Claire Williams from the TMO had ‘binned’ notebooks from her time working on the project. Peter Maddison admitted talking to the main contractor Rydon about sav...

Staff from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s Tenant Management Organisation, which ran Grenfell Tower, gave evidence this week. The Inquiry heard that the TMO broke European procurement rules; they admitted they had secret meetings to discuss savings on the refurbishment and asked the architects Studio E to limit their fees in order to reduce competition in the tender process. Presente...

Simon Cash, the Grenfell Tower Project Director at Artelia, told the Inquiry he felt uncomfortable about how part of the project’s tender process to employ a design and build contractor was carried out. He said he was not aware that Rydon, the main contractor, had been told they were in pole position to win the tender before the tender interviews had taken place. Neil Reed, also from Artelia, told...

Evidence at the Inquiry this week was dominated by the first witness from the building control department at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. John Hoban was the building control surveyor responsible for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. He told the Inquiry he was overworked due to funding cuts at the local council. He said he knew nothing at the time about the fire performance of th...

The Inquiry started this week with evidence from Ben Bailey, Project Manager for cladding specialists Harley Facades. In his mid-twenties at the time, he described how he changed the insulation material used and only carried out site inspections on three sides of the tower. Jonathan White, a Clerk of Works, told the Inquiry he thought it was his job to check work on the refurbishment was presentab...

Staff from cladding specialists Harley Facades gave their second week of evidence with some contradictions The freelance designer hired to do the detailed design work on the cladding told the inquiry he knew building regulation guidance suggested cavity barriers were necessary around windows. But these never appeared in drawings. The Design Manager said he didn’t consider it his responsibility to...

Harley’s Managing Director, Ray Bailey denied that his company put pressure on the architects Studio E to use combustible cladding materials on Grenfell. Ray Bailey said he thought the materials used on the tower complied with building regulation guidance, which he found confusing. In other evidence Zak Maynard, a Managing Surveyor for Rydon, admitted the main contractor downgraded materials aroun...

Rydon knew they were in ‘pole position’ to win the tender for the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower, before the formal tender process had ended, according to evidence given to the inquiry. The Refurbishment Manager agreed in his evidence that Rydon had personal and private access to staff at the Tenant Management Organisation. The tender document gave inaccurate information in the CVs of key staff....

The Inquiry heard a full week of evidence from Rydon, the lead contractor in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. The Inquiry heard how Rydon relied on specialist subcontractors to raise safety concerns. Emails described some residents unhappy with the building work as ‘rebels’. And there was evidence which showed how Rydon underreported potential savings to make up for their own budgeting shortfa...

The inquiry heard evidence from three of the companies involved in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower. The consultant who reviewed the fire safety strategy said he was unaware that the works included overcladding, and no-one working for the contractor Rydon had the experience to check whether materials used in the refurbishment complied with building regulations.

This week the fire consultants Exova gave more evidence. The Inquiry heard how no fire strategy report was ever completed for Grenfell Tower, and that their last version of the report suggested the proposed changes would have no adverse effect on the risks of external fire spread. The Inquiry also heard that the lead consultant working on the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower said he was unaware of...

More than three years after the fire at Grenfell tower, hundreds of buildings around the country are still covered in ACM – the same type of cladding used at Grenfell. As Phase 2 of the inquiry restarts after a four month break, we hear from residents who have been living in buildings with combustible cladding. Producer / Presenter: Kate Lamble Producer: Sharon Hemans Researcher: May Cameron

This week Cate Cooney, a former employee of the fire safety consultancy Exova gave her evidence, before the inquiry was suspended due to the outbreak of Covid-19. The fire safety strategy for the existing building was written by a consultant who never visited the site. It decided that a number of features which didn’t meet current building regulations were ‘satisfactory’. Presenter / producer : Ka...

This week the architects Studio E gave more evidence. The Inquiry heard how the materials used in the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower were chosen and how some of the design features were selected. Witnesses said the initial selection of the combustible cladding was based on appearance and price, and blamed what they called misleading marketing material for their choice of insulation. Presenter / P...

The architectural company which designed the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower started their evidence this week. The Inquiry heard how none of the initial team working on the project had any experience in cladding high rise residential buildings, and that the lead architect was not familiar with specific regulations for high rise buildings. Presenter / producer : Kate Lamble Producer: Luke Radcliff...