WINSTON McKENZIE writes “GRENFELL TOWER – and what this terrible disaster means to us all”

By   WINSTON  McKENZIE – aka CHAMP

          “Too much analysis breeds paralyse!”

This whole terrible tragedy boils down to unadulterated total negligence on an epic scale – on a Nation-wide basis – including building high-rise blocks beyond the reach of fire engines!

We have to first find out the facts, and then see what was and wasn’t carried out correctly, i.e.,

*        Building Regulations, and Compliance of these.

*        Health, Safety and Fire Regulations, and  Compliance of these.

It’s been just over thirty days since this astounding tragedy occurred.  It will live with us forever.  As the Enquiry continues out of the debris the truth is slowly beginning to emerge.  We already know some of the answers to our questions.  Total negligence is a statement that should be attributed to Kensington & Chelsea Council.

Let us not apportion the blame at this moment in time.  This is a humanitarian crisis!  Why should we continue to remind London Mayor, Sadiq Khan and our Prime Minister, Theresa May!  – Ultimately the buck stops with them.  They are our elected Leaders.  They promised fairness!  Inclusion!  Prosperity!  Freedom!  Somebody, please tell me why we have been deceived?

There are 158 families waiting to be re-housed.  Many have found the re-housing offers inadequate, of which only 16 have so far accepted.

There still appears to be no clear ‘Line of Command’.  Where are the positive, reassuring lines of communication and help coming from?  Certainly not the new Leader of Kensington & Chelsea, Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, and certainly not Theresa May.  Perhaps Sadiq Khan – No, no!  He’s not home either.  Residents of Grenfell Tower are being ignored, charged with a felony – the crime of being poor, and of the wrong ethnicity.

Had such a tragedy occurred in the nearby surrounding ‘private’ blocks, I am certain in my mind the owner would have been hounded out of his hole by the media by now, charged with negligence and wilful manslaughter, and the area declared a complete no-go zone.

To my knowledge there are empty blocks of flats in the vicinity.  Can they not be immediately purchased by the Local Authority or Government, with a Short-Term 2 Year Lease until adequate permanent housing can be found.  It is the Local Council’s responsibility to re-house them.  The tenants must be assured they will still remain top of the list for re-housing once suitable properties become available.

It is now every London Borough’s responsibility, and indeed all Local Authorities country-wide, to set urgent measures in place and make sure;-

*        Building Regulations, in all aspects of safety, are properly set at the Planning stage, adequately abided with, and scrupulously followed through.

*        Health, Safety and Fire Regulations are adequately set, complied with, and checked annually or bi-annually, in every Council property, large, small or high-rise.

*        The Fire Brigade to ensure they have adequate platforms and capabilities to reach all floors of new-build and particularly existing blocks of flats or offices.

The Grenfell Tower disaster must never occur again.  Not in a high-rise block, nor even in a single-storey bungalow.