Grenfell Tower fireproof cladding was downgraded to save £293,000: leaked documents

Pressure to keep costs down during the refurbishment of Grenfell Tower appears to have driven the decision to use cheaper cladding on the block, an investigation has revealed.

Leaked documents including an “urgent nudge email” from housing bosses suggest aluminium panels with a flammable core were selected for the west London tower in the place of a fireproof zinc material to save nearly £300,000 – with reportedly little discussion of possible implications for residents’ safety.

An estimated 80 people died in the devastating fire on 14 June that detectives believe was started by a fridge-freezer unit before spreading to the 24-storey building’s “combustible” cladding, which subsequently failed safety tests…

Source: Grenfell Tower’s fireproof cladding was ‘downgraded to save £293,000’, show leaked documents | The Independent