Article 2TEM7 The UK government has become dangerously obsessed with facades | André Spicer

The UK government has become dangerously obsessed with facades | André Spicer

by
André Spicer
from on (#2TEM7)
Focusing more on appearances than outcomes is perilous. The Grenfell Tower fire has shown up the shortcomings of stretched public authorities putting up a front

As the flames that engulfed Grenfell Tower died down, the blame game had already begun. One thing everyone has pointed to is the new facade on the building. Residents called it "the plastic". It has since emerged that similar cladding was a factor in fires in tower blocks in France, and is banned from use in tall buildings in the US - and the UK, according to the chancellor (though this is denied by those who installed it).

But "the plastic" was not the only potentially dangerous facade at Grenfell Tower. Residents saw the installation of the cladding as part of deeper processes of gentrification and even racial and class cleansing. Lacklustre concerns around fire safety were another facade. Following a fire at Lakanal House in 2009 in Camberwell, London, which killed six people, the authorities knew there were potential fire risks in tower blocks. Instead of responding immediately, the government created another facade - an inquiry that took four years and came to conclusions that were not fully acted on. And then there was the facade of accountability, such as forums set up by the local council to listen to local residents. The council did very little listening and, as a consequence, repeated concerns about fire safety went unheeded.

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