More than 900 bereaved family members, survivors and local people who were affected by the devastating Grenfell Tower fire have agreed on a settlement of their civil claims arising from the blaze.
The fire at the residential tower block in west London killed 72 people in June 2017. Those who took part in the legal claim were represented by 14 firms that have stressed the agreement does not affect the long-running public inquiry, chaired by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, which is looking into the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the blaze. It has yet to publish its report.
The agreement will also not affect the potential for any criminal charges to be brought in the future. The group added that “the fight for justice continues”.
In a statement, the firms involved said: “The settlement is completely independent of, and has no impact upon, the ongoing public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire, which is due to publish its report in 2023, or the ongoing criminal investigation where it is anticipated that the Crown Prosecution Service will make a decision on whether to pursue criminal charges against those responsible for the fire after publication of the final Grenfell Tower Inquiry report.”
“In those respects, the BSRs’ [bereaved family members, survivors and local residents] fight for justice continues.
“Finally, it should be recognised that no amount of damages could ever be sufficient to properly compensate those affected by the fire.”
The settlement does not include all victims of the fire and the amount of compensation the 900 claimants are to receive is to be shared out “according to their own specific circumstances”, the lawyers said.
A spokesperson for the Kensington & Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), the organisation appointed by the local council to run its entire housing stock, said a “monetary settlement won’t mitigate for the loss and trauma”, but welcomed it as a step towards justice for those involved.
The cladding giant Arconic said it was among the firms that were involved in the high court case and had agreed to the settlement. It said it had also “agreed to contribute to a restorative justice project to benefit the community affected by the fire”.
A spokesman said: “Arconic continues to express its deepest sympathy to the Grenfell residents and their families, and appreciates the importance of this milestone for providing a resolution that lessens the delay and stress to claimants that would result from protracted legal proceedings.”
In closing submissions to the inquiry in November, the lead counsel Richard Millett KC accused firms of a “merry-go-round of buck-passing” in order to protect their own interests.
The “spider’s web of blame” created by the refusal of core participants to accept responsibility will make the task of the panel, which must examine the circumstances that led to the deaths, even harder, Millett said.
He also highlighted a number of issues at play in the build-up to the tragedy, including poor regulation, inadequate legislation, the influence of commercial interests and “the failure to pay due respect to the idea of ‘home’ as a physical aspect of human privacy, agency, safety and dignity”.
Many of the organisations involved with the Grenfell Tower project have failed to accept blame for their role in the events prior to the disaster, showing a “lack of respect” for the victims and their families, the inquiry heard.
