London's Grenfell Tower, which was engulfed in flames more than seven years ago in a disaster that killed 72 people, will be demolished, bereaved families and survivors said on Thursday.
The fire ripped through the 23-story social housing block in one of London's richest areas during the early hours of June 14, 2017. It was Britain's deadliest blaze in a residential building since World War II.
Grenfell Next of Kin (GNK), which represents relatives of nearly half of those who died, said Britain's deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, announced her decision to a room of families and survivors in a meeting on Wednesday evening.
According to the group, the demolition of the tower, which remains standing but covered in protective wrap, will start after the eighth anniversary of the tragedy in June this year.
Engineers advising the government said the structure of the tower would worsen over time, and that the building, or part of it that was significantly damaged, should be carefully taken down.
"Do we wish the whole tower could stand forever? Yes. Is that an option? Not from a structural point of view," GNK said.
Grenfell United said the voices of bereaved families and survivors were not heard or considered by Rayner, during what they described as a short four-week consultation.
"Ignoring the voices of bereaved on the future of our loved ones' gravesite is disgraceful and unforgivable," it said.
The department of housing, communities and local government did not immediately reply to a request for comment, but the decision was confirmed by Joe Powell, the member of parliament for Kensington, the area where the tower is located.
He said on X that the decision had not been taken lightly: "Grenfell Tower will always be in our hearts as a community."
A public inquiry into the fire, which published its final report last year, blamed the disaster on failings by the government, by the construction industry and, most of all, by the firms involved in fitting the exterior with flammable cladding.
Several survivors and families have said the inquiry has delayed any criminal proceedings.
A commission looking at a future memorial on the site of the disaster said in its 2023 report that if the tower came down it should be "dismantled with care and respect."
A final design for the memorial is expected by spring 2026, and construction could begin that year.
The decision on the tower's future came after some relatives of those who died raised concerns about a letter notifying them that a small quantity of human remains were still being stored by the police.
