LDN Weekly – Issue 330 – 05 September 2024 – Grenfell Tower Inquiry

GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY - PHASE TWO REPORT

Dear Reader,

The most striking words from the Chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Sir Martin Moore-Bick this week were that the 72 deaths were ‘all avoidable’ and that the residents of Grenfell had been ‘badly failed’ through ‘incompetence’ in some cases, and ‘dishonesty and greed’ in others. The 1,700-page Phase Two report presents a litany of failures, from national government, to cladding manufacturers, those involved in the building’s refurbishment, the London Fire Brigade and the local authority.

The report includes 58 recommendations, most of which pertain to the construction industry, and in his statement yesterday the Prime Minister said that the Government will look to implement them and respond in full within six months to prevent similar tragedies taking place in the future. In her response, Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council Elizabeth Campbell said that the local authority ‘could, and should, have done more to keep people safe’ and that a full response will be published in the autumn.

We must not forget about the residents of the 2,331 buildings (of over 11 metres in height) where, according to the latest Government figures, the remediation of dangerous cladding has not even begun. This morning, Housing Secretary Angela Rayner spoke about the importance of speeding up the works, but over seven years on from the fire, the Government will be required to take some bold action if it is to restore confidence and a sense of safety to those affected.

Grenfell United, which brings together those affected by the disaster, have expressed their dismay at the news that prosecutions are unlikely to take place until 2027, saying that they will continue to work until ‘those who are truly responsible are held to account and brought to justice’.

Though the publication of the report this week was a major milestone, it is certainly nowhere near the end for politicians at local and national levels, the property and construction sectors, the bereaved or the survivors.

Emily Clinton

Account Manager, Insight

A TRIBUTE TO NICKY GAVRON

While much of this week's LDN focuses on the Grenfell Inquiry Report and the return of Parliament, it would be remiss not to begin this edition without recognising the life of Nicky Gavron, who died last Friday, 30 August at the age of 82.

I had the privilege of both knowing Nicky and working with her for all the years I have been involved in London politics - 34 years in fact since I joined Greater London Arts Association (GLAA) in 1990. She was on its Board and immediately impressed me with her passion for the arts in our capital.

But I quickly came to realise that her commitment to London went far beyond this in her role on the London Planning Advisory Committee (LPAC) which she chaired for six years before it was absorbed into the Greater London Authority in 2000. 

During this period she was a leading and early campaigner to improve London's air quality, paving the way for the congestion charge introduced by Ken Livingstone in 2003 and the ULEZ announced by Boris Johnson and then implemented and extended by the current Mayor Sadiq Khan - something Sadiq rightly has recognised in his recent tweets about her.

In her role as Ken's deputy Mayor from 2000-2008 and her 21 years sitting on the London Assembly it is fair to say that she had more involvement in and influence over the five London Plans published by our three Mayors than any other politician. And this was partly down to her focus and diligence when it came to all things planning related and also what I would describe as her ‘charming persistence’. A charm which led to her being respected and admired not just by politicians across all parties, but also by a wide range of campaigning bodies and by the business community. Something very few politicians have ever achieved and is reflected in the wide ranging, touching tributes over the last few days.

It was only fitting that the NLA made her their Londoner of the Year in 2022 and she gave a barnstorming speech, without notes, to the assembled throng of the built environment community at the annual awards ceremony. Some younger NLA members subsequently commented to me that they had no idea how influential she had been over London. For those of us lucky enough to have known her and worked with her, Nicky's contribution to our great capital city will be remembered for a long time. 

Further obituaries of Nicky Gavron can be read in The Times, The Telegraph, OnLondon and The Guardian.

Robert Gordon Clark

Senior Advisor & Partner 

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GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY

Damning: The publication of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase Two report highlighted a series of failures from government, the sector and the emergency services. We’ve set out the key findings below.

Decades of failure: The Department for Communities and Local Government (now MHCLG) was ‘well aware’ of the risks posed by the use of combustible cladding panels and insulation being used in high-rise buildings, but took no action to minimise this risk or heed warnings made on multiple occasions. Opportunities to amend or create better regulations for fire safety were ‘determinedly resisted’ by ministers, leading to safety concerns being ‘ignored, delayed or disregarded.’

Systematic dishonesty: Manufacturers of combustible cladding materials, Arconic, Celotex and Kingspan, were ‘by far the biggest contributor’ to the fire and its rapid spread on the night of 14 June 2017. Failure to adequately test materials, which were misrepresented by manufacturers in a ‘deliberate and sustained’ strategy of manipulation, were exacerbated by certification bodies which failed to apply ‘proper standards’ of monitoring.

Persistent indifference: The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and its Tenant Management Organisation (TMO) ‘lost sight’ of their responsibilities as local authority and social landlord, leading to a ‘toxic atmosphere’ and breakdown of trust with residents. Fire safety issues reported by residents of the Tower were ignored in a ‘pattern of concealment’ where the TMO was seen as an ‘uncaring and bullying overlord.’

Incompetence: Organisations involved in the tower’s 2011 refurbishment, Studio E, Harley Facades and Rydon, failed to recognise the danger in the choice of combustible materials installed. Rydon as project manager engaged in ‘buck-passing’ where no one contractor involved was responsible for the refurbishment, while Studio E carries a ‘very significant degree’ of blame for not following building regulations.

Unfounded assumption: London Fire Brigade lacked an effective strategy to handle the evacuation of high-rise residential buildings, and failed to provide adequate training to firefighters to cope with the scale of the evacuation, emergency response and disaster management. The Brigade had an ‘entrenched’ belief that a disaster on the scale of Grenfell Tower could never happen.

Lack of respect: RBKC was found to have failed residents made homeless by the fire, leaving many feeling ‘abandoned by authority and utterly helpless.’ The council’s treatment of vulnerable residents, particularly Muslims observing Ramadan, represented a ‘significant degree of discrimination.’ Slow, indecisive leadership and a lack of staff trained to recognise the importance of resilience in council operations left the local authority’s response ‘ill-equipped’ to handle the tragedy that unfolded.

Lasting legacy and what happens next: The Government is to respond to the Inquiry in full within six months and provide annual updates to Parliament on progress with the report’s recommendations. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister is writing to the companies found responsible for ‘horrific failings’ as the ‘first step’ to block them from government contracts. London Fire Commissioner Andy Roe said the London Fire Brigade will set out its own action plan ‘in due course’ and in consultation with the Grenfell community. As for Leader of Kensington and Chelsea Council, Cllr Elizabeth Campbell said the council would publish a ‘full and formal’ response this autumn.

The LCA Insight Team has put together a comprehensive briefing on the report, if you would like a copy, please do get in touch.

INTERVENTIONS INTERVENTIONS

Delivery: In her first major speech as Chancellor, Rachel Reeves pledged that the new Government would be more interventionist in planning to increase the delivery of new homes and drive the Government’s ambition of economic growth. Two months in, and they’ve stuck to their word and by our calculation have so far intervened in 10 planning decisions, including recovering two appeals for data centres and approving plans for a housing scheme in County Durham.

Full speed ahead: It’s not just MHCLG getting involved, with Transport Secretary Louise Haigh granting approval for Places for London’s plans for 350 homes (40% affordable) on the car park at Cockfosters Tube station. They were previously blocked by former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps after Labour controlled Enfield Council granted permission in 2022.

Grounded? Last month, Haigh and Housing Secretary Rayner granted permission for extra capacity at London City Airport, from 6.5m passengers a year to 9m. The decision will have ruffled a few feathers, with environmental and noise concerns rife, not least from Labour-run Newham Council. Leader Rokhsana Fiaz has said that the council is ‘considering all options’ in response, saying that the noise is ‘detrimental’ to the ‘health and quality of life’ of the borough’s residents.

No pressure: One hangover from the previous government that Rayner is yet to address is the high-profile and controversial matter of the redevelopment of Marks & Spencer on Oxford Street. The Pilbrow & Partners-designed plans were granted approval locally before being called-in and rejected by Michael Gove, but his decision was judicially reviewed and quashed, meaning that it now has to be redetermined by the Secretary of State. At the weekend, several leading architects wrote to Rayner urging her to block the plans.

Build, build, build: Rayner has announced the creation of a New Homes Accelerator, consisting of an ‘expert group’ of civil servants appointed to speed up planning decision-making and delivery on around 200 (unspecified) stalled residential developments.

Clean break: Housing and Planning Minister Matthew Pennycook has written to local government leaders in Cambridgeshire calling for a ‘reset’ in the county’s partnership with central government, while seeking to ‘remove barriers’ to development in the region – watch this space.

• Tower Hamlets Council has approved Westferry Development Ltd’s 1,358-home (35% affordable) development comprised of 13 buildings up to 31 storeys in height at the 6.15ha former printworks site on the Isle of Dogs, with the council's Strategic Development Committee voting six in favour and one vote against the application. The plans also include a new secondary school, public realm improvements along the dock front, and over 2ha of public open space. In 2020, previous proposals were called in and granted by former Secretary of State Robert Jenrick despite being rejected by the council. It was later reported that the developer’s parent company Northern & Shell donated to the Conservative Party, which led to Jenrick’s resignation and the planning decision being quashed.
  
  
• Transport Secretary Louise Haigh has granted approval for Connected Living London’s plans for 351 new homes (40% affordable) in four buildings on the 3.3a car park at Cockfosters Tube station in Enfield. The developer is a joint venture between Grainger and Transport for London (TfL) and the approval overrides the decision to block the plans by former Transport Secretary Grant Shapps in March 2022 using the Government’s veto powers under the Greater London Authority Act.
  
  
• Stanhope and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan have submitted revised plans for the sustainable redevelopment of 70 Gracechurch Street in the City of London following an extensive programme of local engagement. The plans include the retention and recladding of the existing 7-storey building to minimise the carbon impact of the redevelopment, while adding 26 additional floors to provide 50,000 sqm of office space and new ground floor cultural spaces and public routes. The City of London Corporation approved previous plans for the site in February 2021 which would have demolished the existing building to deliver a 33-storey building and 73,000 sqm of office floorspace. The updated plans feature sustainability targets of EPC A and a BREEAM rating of Excellent. A key driver for this design phase has been to retain and reuse as much of the existing structure of 70 Gracechurch Street as is reasonably practical, targeting a planned re-use of 60% of the existing structure by volume.
  
  
• Big Yellow Group has secured two planning consents for new storage facilities in London. At Kensington Olympia, the developer secured permission on appeal to demolish an existing building on Hammersmith Road and deliver a new 11-storey building with up to 22,891 sqm of storage space, 1,162 sqm of affordable workspace and 388 sqm of community space alongside landscaping and public realm improvements. At Brent Cross, Barnet Council approved its replacement of an existing facility with a six-storey building providing up to 17,656 sqm in storage space alongside 378 sqm of flexible office space.
  
  
• Kingston Council is selling the 600-space, 0.44ha car park at the Cattle Market in Kingston town centre, aiming to promote its redevelopment potential in alignment with the Council’s vision for Kingston as a hub for shopping and business. The council has also said it would welcome bids from developers seeking to use the site to incorporate a proposed replacement for the former Kingfisher leisure centre, which was demolished at a neighbouring site in 2022. 

• Tower Hamlets Council has appointed David Joyce as its new Corporate Director for Housing and Regeneration. Joyce joins from Haringey Council where he held the role of Corporate Director of Placemaking and Housing since July 2020. He has previously held roles in planning, regeneration and housing in Lambeth, Camden, Barking and Dagenham, and Redbridge councils.
  
  
• Former Chief Executive of Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, Léon Bressler, has died aged 77. Bressler served as CEO from 1992-2006 and stood down as Chair of URW’s supervisory board in 2023. He was also Founder and Chief Executive of Aermont Capital, chairing the company until his death.
  
  
• Co-founder of leisure sector advisory business Davis Coffer Lyons, David Coffer, has died aged 76. Coffer was instrumental in managing and advising on several major hospitality and leisure developments in the capital, including the operations of the Earls Court and Olympia music and conference venues.
  
  
• The Crown Estate has hired Kate Green as its new Workplace Director, joining from a 14-year career with CBRE. Green will lead the Estate’s development pipeline of office workspace in the West End.
  
  
• Henley Investment Management has appointed Jay Squier as its new Managing Director for Development and Asset Management. Squier joins after 14 years with Native Land leading the programme for mixed-use and commercial development.
  
  
• Blackstone has appointed Wesley LePatner as its new Chief Executive. LePatner will lead the real estate investment trust at the end of 2024, promoted from her current role as Chief Operating Officer. Current CEO Frank Cohen is to remain as the trust’s Chair of the Board.
  
  
• Lambert Smith Hampton has promoted its Director Steve Hemming to the newly created role of National Head of Planning. Hemming has been with LSH for 20 years and currently leads the firm’s planning offer in its Birmingham office.
  
  
• The Mayor of London has confirmed the appointment of new members to the Transport for London (TfL) Board. The new members are: Zoë Billingham CBE, Deborah Harris-Ugbomah, Tanya Joseph, Arthur Kay, Keith Richards, Omid Shiraji and Sara Turnbull. Cllr Ross Garrod, Anurag Gupta, Marie Pye and Peter Strachan, Mark Phillips, Professor Greg Clark and Anne McMeel have been reappointed.

OUT AND ABOUT

Going through changes: Our retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are ever-evolving and the changes are likely to impact our towns and cities and the way we experience them.

Shop til you drop: As reported by The Times, contrary to popular belief, bricks-and-mortar retail is actually having what the newspaper describes as a ‘renaissance’, with major retailers including Waitrose and Marks & Spencer having announced expansion plans.

New and improved: Meanwhile, The Observer reports on the transformation of the UK’s vacant department stores, many of which closed during the pandemic, to return them to their former glory, though not necessarily for retail. Former department stories across the country (the article focuses on examples from Taunton, Oxford and Edinburgh) are being converted to provide everything from housing, to hotels, offices and even healthcare facilities.

Branching out: Owner of Waitrose the John Lewis Partnership (JLP) has also this week revealed that it has submitted plans for 215 rental homes (10% affordable) on the site of its distribution centre in Reading, marking the company’s third foray into housing: in July, Bromley Council approved plans for 353 homes above an existing Waitrose shop (10% affordable), while plans have also been submitted for a scheme in Ealing.

Tourist trap: Despite recent analysis showing that the UK’s tourist attractions are becoming increasingly expensive, London hotel occupancy this summer returned to peak pre-pandemic levels reaching 89.3% in July, up from 84.6% the previous year.

Crowded out: The Savoy has reported that an increasingly competitive market has resulted in a loss of £17.6m last year. At least 15 luxury hotels set to open in London between 2023 and 2025 (that’s 2,677 rooms). 

Work hard, play hard: While we are used to hearing news of bars, pubs and clubs closing down, what this doesn’t show is increased demand for different forms of leisure and hospitality venues, including competitive socialising and themed venues.

WE RECOMMEND

• London Spy’s eye-opening update to its housing Tube map with average prices by Tube station.
• The Sunday Times on Number 10’s ‘misery manifesto’ approach to economic strategy.
• The Financial Times report on a historic month as the UK ends its reliance on coal power.
• Will Noble writing the praises of London’s biggest town – an ode to Croydon.
• Plans for a water park in Loch Lomond receiving the most objections to planning application in UK history.

A REVIVAL OF THE HIGH STREET?

LCA client Avison Young was featured in The Times newspaper commenting on the revival of the high street. Lesley Males, Director of Market Intelligence, looks at how retailers are putting their faith in bricks and mortar as it becomes clear customers want in-store shopping. You can read the article online here.

LDN CONTRIBUTORS 

LCA prides itself on its intelligence-led approach to PR and communications and our dedicated insight team monitors London politics, news and issues as it happens.

If you would like to know more about LCA or anything in this edition of LDN – London in short please get in touch. 

Nick Bowes

Managing Director, Insight

Robert Gordon Clark

Senior Advisor and Partner

Emily Clinton

Account Manager, Insight 

 Daniel Reast

Insight Executive

Design:  Aroa Maquedano Pulido:

We strive for balance and accuracy at all times; however, if you feel we have made a mistake, omission or have misrepresented a story or issue please alert the team by contacting the LDN team by using the details above.

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