Grenfell Tower, where 72 people died, ‘to be demolished', families are told
Bereaved families of the Grenfell fire are understood to have been told the tower block will be demolished.
The deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, who is also housing secretary, met with relatives and survivors on Wednesday evening.
The government has previously said there will be no changes to the site before the eighth anniversary of the disaster – which claimed 72 lives – in June.
A spokesperson for Grenfell Next of Kin, a group representing some bereaved families, said Rayner had 'announced the decision that the tower will have to be carefully deconstructed'.
It is expected more details will be set out by government by the end of the week.
In a previous update, the government said structural engineering advice remained unchanged 'in that the building (or that part of it that was significantly damaged) should be carefully taken down'.
What is left of the tower has stood in place since the fatal fire on 14 June 2017 with a covering on the building featuring a large green heart accompanied by the words 'forever in our hearts'.
Views have varied on what should happen on the site, with some bereaved people and survivors arguing the tower should remain in place until there are criminal prosecutions over the failings which led to the fire.
The final report of the Grenfell Tower inquiry, published in September, concluded the disaster was the result of 'decades of failure' by government and the construction industry to act on the dangers of flammable materials on high-rise buildings.
The west London tower block was covered in combustible products because of the 'systematic dishonesty' of firms who made and sold the cladding and insulation, inquiry chair Sir Martin Moore-Bick said.
He said the 'simple truth' was that all the deaths were avoidable and that those who lived in the tower were 'badly failed' by authorities, 'in most cases through incompetence but, in some cases, through dishonesty and greed'.
Police and prosecutors said, in May last year, that investigators would need until the end of 2025 to complete their inquiry, with final decisions on potential criminal charges by the end of 2026.
The near 10-year wait for justice has been described by families as 'unbearable'.
Separately, the Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial in the area of the tower.
In a 2023 report, the commission set out a series of recommendations for a 'sacred space', designed to be a 'peaceful place for remembering and reflecting'.
It said the space should include a garden, a monument and a dedicated space for the private expression of grief and mourning for the families who lost loved ones.
A shortlist of five potential design teams was announced last month, and a winning design team is set to be selected this summer.
The commission said it expects the memorial design to be sufficiently developed to enable a planning application to be submitted in late 2026.
A government spokesperson said: 'The priority for the deputy prime minister is to meet with and write to the bereaved, survivors and the immediate community to let them know her decision on the future of the Grenfell Tower.
'This is a deeply personal matter for all those affected, and the deputy prime minister is committed to keeping their voice at the heart of this.'
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