Grenfell Tower: Minister admits 'mistakes were made' in rehousing scheme for victims as dozens remain in temporary accommodation

Administrators 'being asked to perform roles that they are not used to under very difficult circumstances', says Nick Hurd

Green balloons are released over Grenfell Tower on the one year anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire on June 14, 2018 in London, England. In one of Britain's worst urban tragedies since World War II, a devastating fire broke out in the 24-storey Grenfell Tower on June 14, 2017 where 72 people died from the blaze in the public housing building of North Kensington area of London. (Getty )

A government minister overseeing the rehousing of victims of the Grenfell Tower tragedy has admitted “mistakes have been made by all of us” in the process.

Nick Hurd, minister of state for policing and fire service, faced criticism from the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee for the lack of engagement between authorities and survivors of the tragedy.

“Yes, mistakes have been made by all of us, but I think I have been watching human beings at work, being asked to perform roles that they are not used to under very difficult circumstances," he said.

He also responded to claims of a culture of institutional “indifference and incompetence” at Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council, the authority where the fire took place.

As recently as last month, it was revealed that 72 households were still in emergency accommodation despite millions being spent buying homes for victims.

Clarrie Mendy-Solomon, founder of Humanity 4 Grenfell, lost two relatives in the fire and now claims that the authorities choose not to engage with survivors’ groups like hers.

She told the committee there is a lack of transparency around the Grenfell rehousing programme, whereby face-to-face engagement is shunned in favour of bureaucratic “tick box” measures.

“We have had no substantive engagement with either the minister for Grenfell or the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and we have over 200 members,” she said. “We have found that the council and the Government are still very selective as to who they choose to listen to and engage with.

“They have simply imposed a solution by consulting a minimum number of groups.”

Mr Hurd said the council has been on a learning curve in responding to calls for grassroots engagement, and he knows that the authorities need to do more to work directly with survivors, and ensure their needs are met.

He said: “Have I been in situations where I have seen mistakes, where I have seen evidence of less empathy and compassion than I would like? Yes, absolutely. Have I been in situations where I have shaken my head and said ‘What on earth is going on here?’ Yes, absolutely.

“But I do not accept the charge of institutional incompetence or indifference.”

The committee raised concerns about the lack of progress on refurbishing new homes for Grenfell survivors, some of whom are still in temporary accommodation.

This year Kensington and Chelsea Borough Council purchased 307 properties to rehouse families evacuated from Grenfell Tower, at a cost of £235m.

But the council has struggled to refurbish properties which are not ready to be lived in, leaving 24 households stuck in temporary accommodation.

He added: “They had a difficult job to buy the 300 properties, and some of those properties were not to the standards that the council wanted to offer, so quite a lot of work was required. It has been too slow. We have helped in terms of cash and practical things like surveyors – but the council were let down by one contractor, and that cost them a whole month.”

Asked whether the council has the rehousing situation under control, Mr Hurd said he was confident and all evacuees will be rehoused by the end of the summer.

He said:”My latest information is that all those properties will be completed by the end of August, although I will continue to hold the council to account on this. I think there are definitely areas where they need to improve, but my candid view, based on my experience and observations last year, is that they are making progress.”

It comes as detectives carried out three interviews under caution relating to the Grenfell fire, and said more were likely to take place in the weeks to come.

Scotland Yard is investigating whether offences including corporate manslaughter, gross negligence manslaughter and breaches of the Health and Safety Act have been committed.

No arrests have been made.

Additional reporting by PA