“Faulty and ambiguous” rules were not policed properly by governments, Michael Gove says.
Image source, Getty ImagesFlawed government guidance on building standards was partly to blame for the Grenfell Tower fire, Housing Secretary Michael Gove has said.
He believes the system of regulation was “faulty and ambiguous” and not policed properly by the government.
Mr Gove said there was also an “active willingness” on the part of developers to endanger lives for profit.
The inquiry into the 2017 fire – in which 72 people died – has closed and is expected to report later this year.
Evidence at the inquiry showed official guidance was widely seen to allow flammable cladding on tower blocks.
The inquiry was told of “weak” building controls and failures of government as well as “cynical” and “possibly dishonest practices” within the building industry.
The government had previously of technical advice that had been criticised for not making clear that combustible cladding panels should not be used on tall buildings.
Asked in an interview with the Sunday Times whether he now accepts the guidance was wrong, Mr Gove said: “Yes. The government did not think hard enough, or police effectively enough, the whole system of building safety.”
He added that ambiguity in the guidance “allowed unscrupulous people to exploit a broken system in a way that led to tragedy”.
On Monday he is expected to announce a six-week deadline for developers to sign a government contract to fix their unsafe towers – or be banned from the market.
“Those who haven’t [signed] will face consequences. They will not be able to build new homes,” said Mr Gove.
The paper reported a so-called ‘responsible actor scheme’ would be established in the spring, to block such companies from getting planning or building control approval.
It is one of a series of measures intended to force developers to improve the state of the buildings they manage or face being blocked from accessing funding or building new homes.
Inquiry
At a final hearing in November lead counsel Richard Millett KC accused companies of a “merry go round of buck passing” in order to protect their own interests.
The inquiry heard evidence that some of the companies involved in a 2015 refurbishment of the tower knew, or should have known, that the cladding being installed was flammable and not safe for use on tall buildings.
Mr Millett KC told the panel it should conclude “with confidence” that all 72 deaths resulting from the fire were “avoidable”.
Mr Gove drew a distinction between “sins of omission and sins of commission”, suggesting that, while the government was guilty of the former, some developers were guilty of the latter.
“There is an active willingness to put people in danger in order to make a profit, which to my mind is a significantly greater sin,” he said.