Reflecting on the Grenfell tragedy

By Dan Hollas, Director of Building Safety at Clarion Housing Group

The eighth anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire on 14 June is a salutary reminder of the importance of fire safety in our homes.

No one who has seen the pictures of the fire will forget the utter devastation it caused. But setting aside the controversy and the systemic failings that led to this disaster, it is the human cost that should be uppermost in our minds as we mark this anniversary.

Since Clarion’s inception through a merger just nine months before the Grenfell fire, we have always treated fire safety with the importance it deserves. I’m proud of the fact that Clarion prioritised investment in fire doors and fire alarms from day one, building a Fire Project Team with the skills and competence needed to make a difference, with the backing of our Board and leadership team.

Today, we have a rolling safety programme across all our properties, and to date, we have investigated over 3,000 external wall systems, prioritising those deemed to be higher risk. Through these investigations, we have identified more than 200 buildings in need of remediation, moving swiftly to undertake the necessary works, with 96 already completed and signed off and contractors on site working on many more as we speak.

It’s not an easy process, especially given ongoing skills shortages, but I’m confident we will be able to meet the government’s target of fixing all cladding systems on medium and high-rise buildings by 2029.

Since the Grenfell fire, we have invested more than £240m in improving the fire safety of our homes, and expect to spend a further £200m+ between now and 2030. To give you an idea of what this means in practice, last year we installed 1,300 new fire doors, upgraded the alarms and passive fire safety systems in 52 of our sheltered or supported housing schemes, as well as completing over 33,770 fire safety actions. But we know there’s always more to do.

With the introduction of the new Building Safety Act 18 months ago, we’re now in a new era when it comes to building safety, which means we’ve had to adapt our ways of working. We’ve worked collaboratively with the Building Safety Regulator to ensure we are taking all reasonable steps to ensure the safety of our homes, with all the building safety cases we’ve submitted securing approval.

We continue to strengthen our approach to fire safety through regular inspections, clear communication with residents, investment in building safety measures, and ongoing staff training. We prioritise safety not just because it’s a legal obligation, but because everyone deserves to feel secure in their home.

Central to this work is our partnership with residents. We recognise that no one understands a building and its day-to-day safety better than the people who live there. That’s why we’re committed to creating open, two-way channels for communication. We’re listening more – through safety forums, estate walkabouts, resident panels, and direct feedback – and acting swiftly when concerns are raised.

We know this work is never finished. Listening to residents, acting on their concerns, and ensuring their voices inform the decisions we make means that together we are shaping safer homes and stronger communities.

I’ll never forget the Grenfell tragedy, and nor do I want to, as it is a reminder of what we need to do differently. It shapes my work every day.

For me, it’s about understanding, learning, and improving the fire and structural safety of all our buildings. But beyond that, the best way to honour the memory of those who lost their lives on that fateful night is for us to find ways to improve the construction industry’s culture around building safety, doing all we can to ensure this tragedy is never repeated.

Grenfell must never be forgotten. We carry its lessons with us daily – in our policies, our practices, and most importantly, in how we listen to and work alongside the people who live in our homes. Safety is not a box to tick – it’s a promise we must keep.