Work to dismantle Grenfell Tower set to begin

The government confirmed the work was set to take place earlier this year

Work to take down Grenfell Tower is set to begin this week, with the process expected to last for two years.

The government announced earlier this year that the remains of the west London building - where a deadly fire broke out in 2017, claiming the lives of 72 people - would be brought down.

Preparations have been taking place over the summer and work to remove a former plant room, which previously housed heating and a water tank at the top of the tower, is to start.

The government has pledged that the building would be dismantled "with great care and sensitivity", with the process "designed to minimise noise and disruption" in the area.

The floor-by-floor work is being carried out by Deconstruct UK, which has been involved in the maintenance of the site since 2017.

After the plant room is taken down, a process which could last weeks, work to remove the tower's top storey will begin.

What is left of the tower has stood in place in the eight years since the disaster, with a covering on the building featuring a large green heart accompanied by the words: "Forever in our hearts".

The government said a banner would remain on the building and be moved down as work progresses.

The process is expected to take two years

Confirmation earlier this year that the tower would be dismantled was met with criticism from some of the bereaved and survivors of the disaster who expressed their upset and shock, saying they felt they had not had their views considered before the decision was taken.

Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner later said in an interview that she knew her meeting with those most closely affected was going to be "really difficult" and that there was "not a consensus" among everyone over what should happen to the tower.

Views have varied, with her department acknowledging there had been hopes for some of it to remain in place as a memorial to what happened, while others had reported this would be "too painful".

Some of the bereaved and survivors had hoped it would stay in place until a point where charges were brought against those they deem responsible for the fire.

The government confirmed in February that engineering advice was that the tower had been "significantly damaged" and would only get worse with time.

The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has been consulting on plans for a permanent memorial in the area of the tower, with recommendations including a "sacred space" designed to be a "peaceful place for remembering and reflecting".

It is expected a planning application for a memorial could be submitted in late 2026.

A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: "As work begins to carefully take the tower down, we want to assure the community that it will be undertaken with great care and sensitivity.

"We remain committed to ensuring what happened at Grenfell Tower is remembered and we will keep the community's voice at the heart of our work to deliver the vital change needed so what happened can never happen again."