What is the plan for Grenfell?

[Harry Bloomfield]

I cannot imagine they will repair and refurbish the tower, so what are they doing with it?

They have shrouded it up, but why if they are going to demolish it?

[spuorgelgoog]

It's still a crime scene

They need to stop bits blowing off it

Owain

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Think it will be demolished and a memorial park of some sort in its place.

Interesting discussion. It is an extremely visible landmark seen by many thousands every day. Better to leave it as is as a reminder until some conclusions are reached, or cover it up so it just looks like any building having work done. I've a feeling the locals wanted it covered.

[harry]

Why not repair it? Other fire damaged buildings have been repaired.

[Andy Burns]

It's still a crime scene, investigations expected to continue on-site for months yet. They seem to be taking soundings from relatives/locals about what sort of memorial they want in its place.

That would be a bold move, I suppose the reinforced concrete core is sound (or did it burn long/fierce enough to have damaged that?) and they could refurbish it as an example of the best practices, but they might worry about creating demand to refurbish every council block to penthouse standards.

[spuorgelgoog]

At Kensington land values?

Owain

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yes. The idea of building on every scrap of land while having a so called green belt round a city is a nonsense. Far better to have parks and quiet spaces where people can use them everyday.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Absolutely no need to take into account the views of those who survived the disaster but lost family and friends, then? After all most weren't English born. So not part of the master race.

[tabbypurr]

I presume memorial will mean a plaque on the new building.

NT

[Robin]

I think that question would have you labelled a heartless, capitalist Tory pig by some of those who knew within hours who was to blame for the Grenfell deaths, and who hold that no price is too high to commemorate those who died and care for the thousands of residents affected

[Tim Streater]

And who was that then?

They'll be paying, will they?

There were thousands of residents in the tower? Who knew!

[Dave Plowman (News)]

When newly fitted cladding goes up in flames - and spread - at a speed which amazed seasoned fire fighters? When newly fitted windows gave up the ghost in record short time? When the only stairwell fills with toxic smoke because the ventilation system broke?

All an act of God to prats like you, then?

Just how much do you think a bit of landscaping costs, pet?

I'm sure you'd have watched it all happening without a care in the world. After all the council had spent as little as possible on the refurb. That is the only things that is important.

[tabbypurr]

We knew that from the start. What is less clear is who is to blame. FWLIW m y initial impression is multiple failures in multiple places.

You can look up the rent value of each flat, multiply it by the number of f lats and get an idea of the annual income missed if landscaped. It would no t be a cheap option. Once you know the numbers you're better placed to deci de if it's the best course of action. The cost of doing the landscaping wor k would be lost in the noise.

NT

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Yup - I'm sure we will see lots and lots of buck passing.

Simple logic might well say it would make sense to rebuild the block, or replace on the same site. But there's a lot more to this sort of thing than logic.

[Bill Wright]

They shouldn't have been here in the first place. There's far too many.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

Since the building was full of illegal immigrants and other assorted foreign riff raff any amount spent on it was too much.

Bill

[Bill Wright]

What about the fact that the rents would have to repay the capital costs of the building?

Bill

[Tim Streater]

The question Our Dave is answering here, is *what* was to blame, not

*who*.

Dave's only interested in virtue signalling.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

And of course in your little black and white world, there will only be one person to blame. And you want them named before any inquiry. Very Tory, that. I'm sure you'll find some clerk somewhere to put to the sword.

[tabbypurr]

of flats and get an idea of the annual income missed if landscaped.

If you want you could work out the full figures, costs of construction, ren ts for lifetime of building, demolition cost. But we all know that a high r ise building on that plot has a very large value.

Oh why not. Around £2000 for a flat in Grenfell.

24 storeys, 127 flats nearly all of 1 & 2 beds. At circa 2k a month that's about £250,ooo per month income, or £3 million per year in rent. Over 100 years that's £300 million income at today's values. A typical initial return is 5-6% pa, so build cost might be somewhere rough ly in the region of £60 million.

NT