Grenfell housing chiefs were warned tower could become an ‘inferno’ – but dismissed campaigners as ‘moaning about minor issues’

By Julia Gregory, local democracy reporter

A Grenfell Tower resident who warned about an “inferno” there after a previous fire in the tower block, handed in a dossier of concerns just weeks before the fatal fire.

But the people raising the alarm were instead dismissed as “moaning about minor issues” in a Kensington & Chelsea council report.

Michael Mansfield QC told the Grenfell Inquiry today (Monday, March 29) that Shah Ahmed, who lived on the 18th floor, was planning to take his concerns to the housing ombudsman.

The next stage of the Inquiry will look at the role of the council which owned the building and the arms-length Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation which looked after the council’s homes.

Mr Mansfield highlighted the experience of Grenfell survivor Shah Ahmed who alerted his neighbours to the fire in 2017. Mr Ahmed lived in the tower for 25 years and detailed badly-lit stairs on the night of the fire.

In 2010 he wrote to the TMO’s boss Robert Black after a fire in the Tower.

In an email shown to the Inquiry he said he was “shocked you see defects as minor faults.”

He added: “It is difficult to understand how serious a fault needs to be for you to consider it as a major fault.”

And he warned: “There is a high probability that in the event of another fire the whole building can become an inferno.”

Just weeks before the June 2017 fire he handed in a dossier of concerns to the town hall and was preparing to take a case to the housing ombudsman, said Mr Mansfield.

Adrian Williamson QC said that even after the refurbishment of the 24- storey tower the “fire safety info was grossly deficient”.

He explained how residents did not have information on what to do in the event of fire and notices only went up after they asked.

And he said the TMO did not provide details of what to do if they needed to evacuate. and it had not drawn up personal evacuation plans for  the 20 vulnerable and disabled residents.

And Danny Freeman QC said this was “surely a landmark act of discrimination to disabled people.”

There was no fire safety strategy for the building and “no adequate evacuation plan or emergency plan” for the building, he said.

Lawyers acting for bereaved and survivors highlighted  “a culture  of neglect” in the council.

Mr  Mansfield said: “The wealthy council  Royal Kensington and Chelsea created a chronic culture of neglect, of that there can be little doubt, of indifference and discrimination.”

Stephanie Barwise, acting for group 1 of the bereaved, survivors and residents said their complaints were “treated with derision”, whilst the concerns highlighted on the Grenfell Action Blog were dismissed by the TMO’s director of assets and  regeneration Peter Maddison  “as scaremongering”.

She said: “The TMO briefed councillors against residents making clear complaints, had been rejected, were without foundation and suggested residents had acted unreasonably.

“This concerted effort to manage councillors’ perceptions of the TMO came from the top.“

She said the TMO boss Robert Black cultivated a relationship with  the council’s then head of housing Laura Johnson who counselled him to take a “robust” approach with the then Cabinet member for housing Cllr Rock Feilding-Mellen.

“He’s not minded to attend a public meeting with a group of people who are moaning about minor issues.

“He is fully aware of  Ed Daffarn” – a resident and  one  of the authors of the Grenfell Action Group blog who raised a series of concerns about the Tower’s refurbishment.

“You can be sure he will not be taken seriously” by cllr Feilding-Mellen, Ms Johnson wrote.

Some of the people on Mr Ahmed’s floor, including a woman with a walking frame, didn’t survive – they went up to the 23rd floor and died.

Mr Ahmed has given evidence to the inquiry and wanted to continue to do so but is not well.

The TMO’s lawyer James Ageros however said it took complaints seriously.

He said senior managers monitored the way they were dealt with.

And he said there were changes to the refurbishment at Grenfell after hearing from residents.

“Complaints and concerns were dealt with and responded to in a timely manner.”

Kensington and Chelsea Council  said in its opening submission at the Inquiry it should have had more officers monitoring the TMO.

James Maxwell-Scott QC said: “In reflection the council considers the number of officers monitoring the TMO insufficient given the number of properties involved.”

He added it should have set the TMO some fire safety performance indicators.

He said at the last vote before the fire, 86 per cent of residents wanted the TMO to continue managing their homes.

The Inquiry is due to hear evidence from the council from April.

The Grenfell Community Campaigners staged a “symbolic protest” outside the Inquiry today. Because of covid regulations the public are unable to attend the hearings.

They said it was important to be outside because “we are so here, so fighting for justice and we will not be going anywhere until justice is achieved.”