Grenfell to be demolished, bereaved families told
The government has decided to demolish Grenfell Tower, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told a meeting with bereaved relatives and survivors, the BBC understands.
Seventy two people died when the tower block in west London caught fire in June 2017.
The decision follows several years of debate over the future of the 24-storey tower, with some hoping it would remain in place as a lasting reminder of the tragedy and others wanting it replaced with a new memorial.
A formal announcement by the government is expected to made on Friday.
Kimia Zabihyan, representing the group Grenfell Next of Kin which acts for some of the bereaved families, told the BBC she attended the meeting with Rayner where she said the tower would be deconstructed down to the ground level.
She described the meeting as "charged", but said Rayner appeared to have come along with the "best of intentions".
"The deputy prime minister was very clear that she has taken this decision very seriously, that it is a serious responsibility and that it is a very sensitive decision to make, but it is one that she felt she had to make," said Ms Zabihyan, adding that Rayner said she made the decision based on what engineers had recommended.
The government has previously been warned the structure may be unsafe due to the extent of the fire damage.
Ms Zabihyan said she agreed with the decision, but that many people were very unhappy about it.
She said at the meeting, one person told Rayner that "no-one cares about this more than me, because I had just bits of bone to bury of my mother so that building means a lot to me. That is where her soul is, where her ashes are. It's in that building."
Following the meeting, 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."
Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hello.bbclondon@bbc.co.uk
Grenfell memorial construction could start in 2026
Grenfell Tower future 'must include prosecutions'
Grenfell Report: Key findings from the inquiry
Grenfell's 'path to disaster' that led to 72 deaths
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