Grenfell Tower site to become memorial for victims

The Grenfell Tower site is expected to be turned into a memorial, after Kensington and Chelsea council announced that its future will be determined by the community.

Grenfell United, a group of survivors of the fire that devastated a tower block in west London last June, has repeatedly requested that a memorial garden be built on the land once the structure is demolished.

A new document reveals that the council has now promised to put the community at the heart of the decision. It has confirmed it has no other plans for the site, The Guardian reports.

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Survivors will also have the power to veto any suggestions, the document reveals.

“If the bereaved, the survivors and the local community do not want the site developed for housing then the site will not be developed for housing,” it says.

Shahin Sadafi, the chairman of Grenfell United, has welcomed the move. The Government and council have treated the issue with “dignity and respect,” he told the newspaper.

“We can only hope the Government applies the same seriousness to our need for truth and justice at the inquiry. This includes listening to our requests for changes to ensure a thorough inquiry,” Sadafi added.

Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has backed calls for Latimer Road Tube station, the nearest station to the tower block, to be renamed Grenfell in memory of the 72 victims of the fire.

“I’ve agreed to make sure that we start consultation as soon as possible to rename this station as a fitting tribute,” he told LBC radio.

“It’s really important that we remember the awful fire,” Khan added, but also the “fantastic residents” who have been campaigning since the fire to ensure that justice is done.