A lengthy process to demolish Grenfell Tower, where 72 people died in a deadly fire in 2017, has begun in London.
The process will likely take two years, authorities said, with preparations beginning over the summer and work to remove parts of the building.
Work to remove the tower’s 24th floor – the top storey – will begin within a few months, but cranes have already been spotted nearby.
The floor-by-floor work is being carried out by Deconstruct UK (DUK), which has been involved in the maintenance of the site since 2017.
The Government has pledged that the dismantling will be carried out ‘with great care and sensitivity’ and said the plan for careful deconstruction ‘is designed to minimise noise and disruption’ in the area.
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 has said a banner will remain on the building, being moved down as work progresses.
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was met with gasps when she told bereaved families in February that the entire building would be dismantled.
Survivors urged the government to reconsider, accusing them of wanting to put the disaster ‘out of sight and out of mind’, but the demolition is going forward.
Survivor Emma O’Connor said at the time: ‘We have not been properly consulted or engaged with in making the decision to take down Grenfell Tower. There has been no justice. Until there is, Grenfell Tower must stand.
‘If Grenfell Tower is taken down now, we will become invisible again, we will cease to exist for many.
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‘There will be no focus, no justice and our loved ones will have died in vain. Grenfell Tower is an immense symbol of strength and unity for all.’
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’.
A planning application for a memorial could be submitted in late 2026.
The final report of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, published in September 2024, concluded the disaster was the result of ‘decades of failure’ by governments and the construction industry.
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: ‘We recognise Grenfell Tower has a deep personal significance to the Grenfell community, and our thoughts remain with the bereaved families, survivors and all those affected.
‘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.’
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