It’s been seven years since Grenfell Tower went up in flames, killing 72 people and leaving hundreds without homes.
The building which is still a blackened shell is often the site of memorial gatherings which have been held there since June 14, 2017.
A plastic sheet was placed over the remains of the building after a group of Chinese visitors were accused of ‘disaster tourism’ for stopping to take selfies at the scene.
A year after the tragedy, 68 households were still in emergency accommodation, mainly hotels, 52 were in temporary accommodation and 83 in permanent homes.
But as a criminal investigation was carried out into the building to find out how the fire spread so rapidly, what will happen to the building?
Just after the fire, the Prime Minister Theresa May – who made false promises to rehouse the victims within three weeks – suggested the shell would be demolished by the end of 2018.
The site manager Michael Lockwood told a public meeting weeks after the fire he expected the demolition to beginning ‘towards the end of 2018’.
Experts who helped recover remains of the fire after the 9/11 attacks helped police investigators comb through debris from the fire.
The site is still considered a crime scene. Once the police site investigation concludes, Scotland Yard will relinquish responsibility for the area.
As of September 2024, deconstruction has still not started, with structural engineers advising the tower poses a risk.
After demolition the community is set to decide how the space will be used.
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Ultimately it will be up to them what’s done with the shell, but the former residents and local community are adamant that developers do not get hold of the land, located in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.
Work to cover the tower in white sheeting finished days ahead of the anniversary, with banners adorning the top four floors. They bore the message: ‘Grenfell, forever in our hearts’.
Campaigners and locals have suggested that a memorial garden or remembrance space would be suitable replacements for the shell once it’s come down.
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