Systemic failures are still happening on our watch

The Grenfell report released in September 2024 outlined the systemic failures of a construction sector driven by a race to the bottom, incompetence, very poor behaviour and inadequate regulation and control. It is totally unacceptable that multiple buildings over 18 metres high and thousands over 11 metres high are yet to be remediated and that this continues to blight the lives of residents who are hostages in unsafe buildings causing financial and mental health issues.

The failures of course run much deeper than might be imagined. The issues start with a culture of cost cutting driven by a procurement cycle where the cheapest price is often outweighs other considerations including quality and, sadly, life safety. Government’s constant war to cut ‘red tape’ have also allowed for the greater use of combustible materials, despite a historic record of disasters dating back to the Great Fire of London. The industry gave the government numerous warnings before 72 people died in the Grenfell Tower fire.

The warnings did not just come from industry experts. Trust in local and national Government has been further eroded by a refusal to listen to the voice of the tenants. The residents of Grenfell repeatedly and accurately predicted the disaster that was about to happen but sadly they were ignored. For seven years since we have continued to play a game of chance, hoping that another Grenfell tragedy does not occur.

Incompetence and poor behaviour

The rush to privatise building control and fire testing has also exposed the industry to unintended consequences. The Grenfell Inquiry itself identified both incompetence and poor behaviour as key factors resulting in the tragedy.

We should not be surprised that organisations seeking commercial advantage are prepared to work closely with manufacturers to ensure regulatory testing produces a positive test result. If that wasn’t bad enough, we have witnessed wholly unacceptable behaviours of those involved in the specification, design and installation of the changes to Grenfell Tower, which changed a non-combustible concrete building into an inferno.

Not only did companies and individuals take on work that significantly exceeded their competence, but some also acted dishonestly to win orders, with a total disregard for the life-threatening consequences.

The failures of Grenfell must lead to a permanent change of culture

Action is required now to ensure the end of a culture that resulted in this tragic loss of life and has blighted so many people’s lives.

Birmingham City University and the Awarding Body for the Built Environment (ABBE) will continue to work with industry to develop routes to ensure people are competent in their roles and can demonstrate the right behaviours.

We must put in place and enforce robust competency and behaviour policies across government and industry. The risk we still face from legacy buildings must be understood and a plan implemented to remedy and sign-off the affected buildings as being safe and fit for purpose.  We must also ensure we fully recognise and legislate for a resilient future.

The risk of horizontal fires affecting low-rise buildings such as the Paradise in California in 2018, which resulted in an even greater loss of life than Grenfell, is real and tangible. The time has come to insist on non-combustible construction in all buildings where there is a sleep risk.

Seven years on and the Region is still at risk

It is wholly unacceptable that many residential buildings over 18 meters and clad in combustible materials have still to made safe. Furthermore, we have yet to properly quantify the number of high-risk buildings over 11 meters we must also address. The lives of residents, including members of the BrumLAG campaign group, continue to have their lives blighted by fear, expediential increases in service charge and insurance costs, devalued property values and unable to move on with their lives.

We have called on the new West Midlands Mayor to act swiftly to quantify the number of buildings affected. A fast-moving process must then be agreed to diagnose the interventions required, commission competent contactors, manage the projects and ensure the effective completion and sign off. This is about life safety and it  is critical that this critical process takes full account of the mental and physical welfare of the many thousands of residents affected.  As the Grenfell Inquiry concluded the voice of the resident should be front and centre as we move decisively to end the West Midlands Cladding Crisis and provide help and direction to offer a national solution.

As we reflect on the loss of life, we must fully embrace new legislation and effect a major cultural and behavioural change, putting life safety and quality first. Our buildings of the future should be non-combustible and resilient to the effects of climate change including overheating, wind, flood and wildfires.

Our thoughts should remain with those who lost their lives and with their families. We must never forget the human cost of this wholly avoidable event.

This is a personal blog post.  Any opinions, findings, and conclusion or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Centre for the New Midlands or any of our associated organisations/individuals.

ABOUT OUR AUTHOR:

Mike has extensive senior leadership experience in building product manufacturing and housing. He is the current Chair of the West Midlands Social Housing Group and Birmingham Housing Week.

He is currently delivering primary research to support the transition to net zero and developing learning opportunities to improve building safety, ensuring resilience in the built environment, He frequently speaks at conferences and publishes material to shape future policy.

A founder and co-leader in the Birmingham City University “Centre for Future Homes” researching the Future Homes Standard through active Demonstrators, preventing overheating, enhancing indoor air quality, addressing the fire risk, reducing the use of single life plastics, decarbonising material manufacture, and embracing the skills gap.

In a period of unprecedented change, Mike believes that it is critical that policy makers have the data and insights to make evidence-based decisions and avoid unintended consequences. He also believes it is critical that we put home occupiers at the heart of the journey and avoid unintended consequences.