Grenfell survivors and bereaved relatives have criticised the “outrageous decision” to hire a director who oversaw cost-cutting at Grenfell Tower in a £150,000-a-year senior council housing role. Laura Johnson, the director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) at the time of the 2017 Grenfell fire, has been appointed the permanent director of development and property at the Barnet Group, which manages the borough’s 13,000 council homes. The Grenfell inquiry found that, in her previous role, Johnson pushed for a new contractor to carry out the tower’s renovation works on a lower budget, which ultimately meant metal cladding was swapped for combustible plastic-filled panels to save money.
It also found she slowed down the installation of self-closing mechanisms on fire doors in the tower for “financial and practical reasons”, despite warnings from the London fire brigade that their absence compromised fire escape routes. Ed Daffarn, who escaped from the 16th floor of the tower after repeatedly warning about serious fire risks at Grenfell, said: “It is an absolutely outrageous decision. A spokesperson for the Barnet Group said she was the “strongest candidate” in a competitive field.
A spokesperson for the Barnet Group said: “Barnet Homes and Barnet council will not discuss matters relating to members of staff which took place during previous employment. The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority.”
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