HUNDREDS of people marched silently through the streets around Grenfell Tower to mark two months since the deadly fire which left at least 80 dead.
There was complete quiet as the procession started near the Notting Hill Methodist Church, in the shadow of the charred block of flats in west London. People of all ages and all backgrounds took part as it worked its way to Ladbroke Grove before returning to finish near a memorial wall for those who lost their lives.
The crowd of around 300 included children being pushed in prams or carried by their parents.
Some walked with the help of crutches or joined the march in wheelchairs. Others carried candles or banners calling for “justice for Grenfell” as they walked without speaking through the mainly residential streets of north Kensington.
Meanwhile, community leaders are appealing to the head of the council at the heart of the Grenfell Tower fire to cut ties with the organisation responsible for managing the high-rise block.
Kensington and Chelsea residents’ associations plan to send a letter to council leader Elizabeth Campbell urging her to sever the contract with the Tenant Management Organisation (TMO), which has faced criticism over its response to residents’ complaints.
In a vote of no confidence, they said the TMO was “no longer tenable” and that there was an urgent need to replace it with a “more responsive model that puts residents’ safety and interests first”.
The chairwoman of Bramley House residents association, Samia Badani, said: “The TMO’s response prior to, during and after the Grenfell fire has been wholly inappropriate.
“Residents continue to be ignored and repairs are not being carried out.”
She added: “There should be an immediate risk assessment.”
The open letter is also addressed to the deputy leader of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBK&C) council, Kim Taylor-Smith, responsible for Grenfell recovery.
It follows a meeting of 25 community leaders on July 28. The letter reads: “We agree that there has been a fundamental breach of the duty of care by the KCTMO that cannot be remedied.
“The police have reasonable grounds to suspect that KCTMO committed an offence. This should be sufficient for RBK&C to take immediate action to end its contract with KCTMO.
“It is clear to us that KCTMO is not fit for purpose. We have no confidence in its ability to manage council housing on behalf of RBK&C or in its ability to make the correct decisions about our safety.”
The council’s leadership should also ensure everyone affected by the TMO not only be consulted but “fully participate from the outset” in the process of deciding future management of their homes, the letter says.
It ends: “We submit that such actions will help rebuild our community, make it stronger and more sustainable and above all, will be a step forward to restoring public confidence in our local authority and in the healing process of all those affected.”
A council spokesman said: “We fully realise that the council has lost public trust, but we are determined to act properly, thoroughly and fairly to restore that trust over time.
“We are looking at all options for managing our own housing into the future. This will obviously include options for alternative management other than the KCTMO.
“We will, of course, consult with residents, the TMO and other potential housing partners on all options.”
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