Marie Curie report published

8 September 2022

Today, the independent report into the works that happened at Marie Curie is available for people to read.

The council proactively commissioned an independent report, in order to support residents in finding the answers to questions they had about why the fire safety works at Marie Curie differed from those carried out a Lakanal after the devastating fire in July 2009.

The report is now available, and it acknowledges that lessons had not been fully learned about the fire at Lakanal before fire safety works commenced at Marie Curie. The investigation, the Inquests and Coroner’s report took many years to complete, and since then much has changed, especially after the Grenfell fire in 2017. At the time, the council worked with London Fire Brigade and carried out works in line with the legislation on fire safety. There is now very different advice for buildings like Marie Curie, and the council will retrospectively work on all its buildings in line with modern fire safety requirements, and continue with its proactive fire safety work across the borough.

Councillor Darren Merrill, cabinet member for council homes and homelessness, said: “I want to start by saying that I am deeply sorry for all the worry, stress and disruption that the incomplete works to Mare Curie has caused, and for the time it has taken to get the answers that residents wanted. The report took longer than we had hoped because we had concerns along the way that it might not have answered all the questions that residents needed a response on, and we wanted to get it right for them. With hindsight, there was more we could have done in one go in terms of works to the building. Moving forward, fire safety advice changes and improves through time, and we will continue to complete works which follow all the recommendations that modern fire safety requires and do all that we know is right to make our buildings safe.”

The council carried out all works required to Marie Curie to meet or exceed the FRA, and fire safety, for the building at the time, alongside the London Fire Brigade’s advice.

Page last updated: 08 September 2022