Grenfell inquiry: Contractor sought to take ‘some savings for themselves’ on choice of cladding

Imogen Braddick20 July 2020

The main contractor on the Grenfell Tower refurbishment sought to take "some of the savings for themselves" when it came to the choice of cladding, an inquiry into the blaze has heard.

Construction firm Rydon told Kensington and Chelsea tenant management organisation (TMO) in March 2014 that they could save £293,368 if they chose to wrap the west London tower block in an alternative aluminium cassette form of cladding, or £376,175 if they went for a face-fixed cladding.

But, four days earlier, they were told by cladding installers Harley Facades that the cassette installation could present a saving of £419,627 and the face-fixed a saving of £576,973.

When asked by inquiry lawyer Richard Millett QC how he accounted for the difference, Rydon contracts manager Simon Lawrence said: "I would suggest by that Rydon took some of the savings for themselves."

When asked whether he knew that at the time, Mr Lawrence replied: "I think I probably did, yes."

Mr Lawrence said he "would assume" that money "went against risk or additional profit".

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Mr Millett asked whether there was a "plan in Rydon to keep the TMO in the dark about the real extent of the savings on the…panels and then pocket the difference" to make up a shortfall from a previous estimating error.

The contracts manager conceded: "That could be the reason for it."

The flames which rapidly engulfed the 24-storey west London building in June 2017 were fuelled by its aluminium composite material cladding system, which had a polyethylene core.

The inquiry into the disaster that killed 72 people was previously told the cladding system had a heat combustion akin to diesel and close to lighter fluid.

Reacting to the evidence, fire chiefs called the refurbishment an "utter scandal".

Matt Wrack, general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said: "We can now see that Rydon chose to wrap the building in cheaper flammable cladding and planned to pocket the difference.

"At every turn in this phase of the inquiry, we’ve seen that those involved in the building’s refurbishment prioritised cost and aesthetic over safety and 72 lives were lost as a result."

Earlier on Monday, the inquiry heard that Rydon “came to the conclusion” that the project “didn’t need” a fire consultant.

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They had considered recruiting a specialist to oversee plans for the lower four floors of the block, but eventually decided it was not necessary.

Mr Lawrence, who was involved in the revamp between June 2014 and October 2015, told the hearing: "The initial intention regarding fire consultants was for the lower four floors.

"The cladding, in our view, at the time was less of a risk than the lower four floors because of the means of escape.

"We thought that it might be a good idea to have a fire consultant for those lower four floors but, as the design progressed, we ultimately came to the conclusion we didn’t need that fire consultant for the lower four floors."

Mr Lawrence could not remember when this decision was made, but added that not hiring specialist fire safety consultants was standard practice for Rydon work, including on previous jobs involving high-rise overcladding.

Additional reporting from the Press Association

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