Matthew Steeples suggests it is time to bring down the Grenfell Tower in the wake of news that £30 million has been spent on temporary accommodation for survivors
Today The Independent revealed nearly £30 million had been spent on hotel rooms for surviors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Whilst this is utterly shocking – and also indicative of the fact that not nearly enough has been done to rehouse residents – it also acts as a reminder that whilst the tower remains standing, further costs rack up from bills associated with stopping it collapsing.
Whilst some might argue the case for the 24-floor structure not being demolished as it serves as a ‘memorial’ to the 72 people who lost their lives there, others are, in my view rightly, calling for it now to be brought down. The possibility of replacing it with, say, a garden of remembrance seems one of the better options on offer but what should be the priority first is that the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea council do more to help the 150 households still waiting to move into permanent homes. Shame on them for their ineptitude to date.
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You are right. Pull it down. NOW.
What a DISGRACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Waste of money —– get the wrecking ball in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree with you. Inefficiency seems to be a curse in the society we live in. The charred carcass has to be removed, and a new safe building to be built there, to accommodate families, with a park in front of it and a memorial. Why isn’t it removed? No doubt no-one will pay for it. The site can be sold to a private developer however, with the standard requirement to build council housing flats within any new building they erect. This is common practice in London.
This carbuncle on the face of society should be removed without further delay. Many of the former residents have resisted being rehoused in accommodations in the shadow of the tower. Removing this obstacle to rehousing them would solve the problem. A new development of acceptable social housing (NB Ekaterina: the term ‘council flats’ is outdated and frankly offensive) should be constructed with a suitable monument to the victims.
I agree that it should be demolished , long overdue because of inefficiency and council politics. Ludicrous spending on hotels !The council should be held accountable. This is disgraceful when so many people are in real need and many still homeless.
Do we begrudge the survivors temporary accommodation? Christ, no. But that’s working out at roughly 4000 pounds per week per household. The K&C Council should be doing, surely, as you say, Matthew, far more to find them permanent accommodation (which I presume they’d want, to start a new home). The K&C Council never seems to give one grounds for having faith in its competence, does it?
The class system will always stink.