NEWS IN NUMBERS
1.4m The number of young people currently considering a career in construction. Source: Housebuilder Redrow’s annual research
Tributes to the deceased and displaced at the Grenfell Tower site
Grenfell Tower to be deconstructed
H ousing Secretary and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner has announced plans to deconstruct the remains of Grenfell Tower. Back in 2021 specialist structural engineers advised the Ministry of Housing to deconstruct Grenfell Tower “at the earliest possible opportunity, with deconstruction commencing no later than May 2022”. Rayner’s decision has been met with mixed reactions from groups representing survivors and victims of the tragedy. The Grenfell United bereaved and survivors family group said: “We’ve said this to every secretary of state for housing since the very beginning: consult the bereaved and survivors meaningfully before reaching a decision on the tower. “Angela Rayner could not give a reason for her decision to demolish the tower. She refused to confirm how many bereaved and survivors had been spoken to in the recent, short four-week consultation. But judging from the room alone – the vast majority of whom were bereaved – no
one supported her decision. But she claims it is based on our views.” A separate organisation, Grenfell Next of Kin, said: “This is an uncomfortable conversation with uncomfortable truths at its heart. If wishful thinking was an option, we would wish the fire had not killed our parents, our children, our siblings, our partners, our grandchildren and our grandparents who we miss every single day. We would want the tower to stand as a permanent reminder forever. “But the truth is the tower is being propped up by approximately 6,000 props. It has cost £340 million (projected costs to 2028). It cannot be propped up indefinitely due to safety concerns. As people who have lost families to tragedy, we would never want the responsibility of endangering anyone else. Furthermore, the lack of closure, the continuous discussions and consultations, the retraumatisation of a divisive and painful debate, brings nothing to the table except pain and further division.” The site will remain as is until June 2025, the eighth anniversary of the tragedy.
£79.5bn The total value of construction contracts awarded in 2024. Source: Barbour ABI
800+ The n umber of high-rise residential projects stalled by the Building Safety Regulator design c hecks.
Source: A Freedom of Information request by consultant Project4
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Master Builder
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