Former council leader denies Grenfell survivor’s claims that the council had a “facist decant policy”

By Julia Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter

There were no plans for “social cleansing” in North Kensington, the former leader of Kensington and Chelsea council said, despite residents’ concerns.

Nicholas Paget-Brown, the Conservative councillor in charge in the years leading up to the Grenfell Tower fire, told the Grenfell Inquiry if council homes were renovated “the residents would have the right to return, that was my clear policy”.

He rejected claims by Grenfell survivor Edward Daffarn that the council had a “fascist decant policy”. He told the Inquiry that it was “potentially damaging”.

He said a description of homes on the Lancaster West Estate which included Grenfell as slum-like was “ludicrous”.

The Grenfell Inquiry lawyer Richard Millett QC showed him a council decant policy which said the right to return “cannot be guaranteed”.

Mr Paget-Brown, who was council leader from 2013 until weeks after the 2017 fire, said: “Something appears to have been inserted to make it less than robust than politicians intended.”

Not long after he became leader he arranged to meet Mr Daffarn and other residents who were concerned about the decant policy, conditions on the estate and delays to the refurbishment at Grenfell Tower. They were also worried about fire safety following power surges in the building.

Mr Paget-Brown said he hoped he could allay fears over social cleansing as “we were strongly opposed to that”.

In an email asking for a meeting Mr Daffarn asked why the council was covering up the power surges .

Mr Paget-Brown said: “My concern was the safety and I was reassured that the safety had not been compromised.”

He told Mr Daffarn he was satisfied there was no cover up.

He also suggested damaged appliances should be replaced.

Mr Millett QC showed him a report for the tower’s insurers after the power surges which found evidence “of severe burn” in a cable in the basement.

In May 2016 Mr Paget-Brown visited Grenfell Tower and looked round the boxing club and nursery.

He wanted to find out about concerns about new boilers which were put in the halls rather than kitchens in the building.

He met Denis Murphy in his flat on the 14th floor of the tower.

Mr Murphy, 56,  lived alone in flat 111 and his body was found there after the fire.

Richard Millett QC asked if he was aware that Mr Murphy was vulnerable and had a serious respiratory illness.

Mr Paget-Brown said he noted he was “elderly and somewhat infirm but not to the point of not being able to move round the flat”.

Mr Paget-Brown said he did not ask what provision there was to evacuate vulnerable residents like Mr Murphy if there was a fire.

He explained he thought if there was a fire “it would be contained” and he should leave the flat and close the door.

“I don’t think that anybody could possibly have envisaged the circumstances of the June 14 fire where the fire engulfed the whole building simultaneously,” he said.

Mr Paget-Brown said he was not aware of personal evacuation plans  (PEEPs) which should be drawn up for vulnerable residents.

The Tenant Management Organisation which looked after the council’s 9,500 homes should have PEEPs for any vulnerable residents.

He was asked  at the end of his evidence if he would do anything differently and said he was desperately sorry about the “utterly, utterly terrible” fire.

“This must never happen again,” he said.

Pictured top: Grenfell survivor & fire safety campaigner Ed Daffarn