Planners didn’t like rainscreen cladding proposals, Grenfell inquiry told

By Jim Dunton2020-03-05T06:00:00

Grenfell Tower toward the end of its ill-fated refurbishment

Source: Grenfell Tower Inquiry

Safety consultant Exova warned podium proposals made ‘existing crap condition worse’

Local authority planning officers “responded negatively” to initial proposals to cover Grenfell Tower with rainscreen cladding, the public inquiry into 2017’s fatal fire has heard.

Evidence put to Studio E Architects’ project lead Bruce Sounes today included minutes from a design team meeting suggesting Kensington and Chelsea council planners preferred other options to boost the tower’s appearance and energy efficiency.

The session also heard that fire-safety consultant Exova voiced concerns about Studio E’s proposals to reconfigure the tower’s four-storey podium to introduce new homes – something Sounes earlier conceded was the most complex aspect of the plans.

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