It was the final time that a silent march was held by Grenfell Tower eight years on from the tragedy with the Government having said that the building will be demolished
Bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy silently marched in the shadow of the building for what is likely to be the final anniversary before demolition work begins.
The Government announced earlier this year that the remains of the building which was ravaged by a devastating fire will be brought down. It is thought the earliest that demolition will start is September and the process is expected to take around two years. This evening, the annual walk took place place in west London to mark eight years since the blaze, followed by the reading of the names of the 72 dead, and speeches by campaigners.
What is left of the tower has stood in place in the years since the disaster, with a covering on the building featuring a large green heart accompanied by the words “forever in our hearts”. News of the Government’s demolition decision earlier this year was met with criticism from some bereaved and survivors of the 2017 fire who expressed their upset and shock, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was taken.
Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner later said in an interview that she knew the meeting with those most closely affected was going to be “really difficult” and that there was “not a consensus” among everyone over what should happen to the tower. Views have varied, with her department acknowledging there had been hopes for some of it to remain in place as a memorial to what happened while others had reported this would be “too painful”.
The Government confirmed in February that engineering advice is that the tower “is significantly damaged” and will get worse with time. Separately, the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial in the area of the tower, with recommendations including a “sacred space”, designed to be a “peaceful place for remembering and reflecting”.
It is expected a planning application for a memorial could be submitted in late 2026. The Government said it will also share further information about plans for a second site where materials from the tower “which are not used in the memorial, or conserved, will be safely and respectfully laid to rest”.
Grenfell survivor Edward Daffarn said this year’s anniversary was “all the more poignant by the fact that this is the last time that we will meet with the tower in situ”. He added that it is difficult to think the tower will be pulled down “before we have obtained any justice and while there are still people living in buildings with dangerous cladding”.
According to the Government’s latest figures, published last month, there were 5,052 residential buildings in England which are 11 metres or taller identified as having unsafe cladding as of the end of April. Fewer than half – 2,477 buildings or 49% – had either started or completed remediation works, with just a third – 1,652 buildings or 33% – having had remediation works finished.
Labour unveiled its remediation acceleration plan last year, pledging that, by the end of 2029, all buildings more than 59ft (18m) tall with unsafe cladding that are on a Government scheme will have been remediated. For buildings over 11 metres with unsafe cladding, within the same timeframe those will either have been remediated, have a date for completion or the landlords will be liable for severe penalties, the Government said.
A spokesperson for Grenfell Next of Kin, which represents some of the bereaved, said: “Eight years have passed, yet it feels just like yesterday when we frantically moved from door to door, hospital to hospital, searching for our loved ones. Our parents, children, partners, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren, were lost to a tragedy that was both horrific and unjust. The aftermath has been equally devastating.”
They said they were “granted one final chance to visit inside and pay our last respects” ahead of the “dismantling of the Tower—a site where our loved ones were turned to ashes”. The story of what happened at Grenfell, and the failures which led to the fire, are explored in a new documentary which will air on Netflix on June 20.