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Commission sets out early ideas for Grenfell Tower memorial
The first ideas for a memorial to honour the 72 people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire have been set out today.
The Grenfell Tower Memorial Commission has published a report capturing the views of over 2,000 people, including roughly 200 bereaved persons and survivors, on what a memorial might look like.
Almost two-thirds (64%) of those the commission spoke to said they would like the memorial to include a garden, while 33% would like it to include an artwork or a monument and 10% wanted it to incorporate a building such as a museum or a sheltered space.
Other popular ideas include water features, a place to sit and an area for children, the commission said.
The commission is made up of 10 community representatives, including five bereaved family members, three former residents of Grenfell Tower and Grenfell Walk who lost their homes, and two residents from the Lancaster West Estate that surrounds the tower.
The commission has agreed with ministers that it will establish what the bereaved families, survivors and community want in terms of a fitting memorial, with an aim to develop a proposal and then seek funding from the government.
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The commission will not make any decisions regarding the future of Grenfell Tower itself. This is the responsibility of the government, which is currently carrying out a consultation.
In its report, the commission said it was “hard to overestimate the magnitude of emotions that the tower brings up”, adding that pulling the tower down would cause “deep pain and sorrow” for bereaved families.
The commission criticised the government for an article that appeared in The Sunday Times in September last year, which said ministers were set to announce the demolition of Grenfell Tower.
The commission said it was “shocked, dismayed and completely blindsided” and wrote to the government to say it had been left with no choice other than to pause its work.
Work resumed in January, after the commission met Michael Gove, the newly appointed housing secretary, who apologised and promised that things would change, the commission’s report said.
Today’s report also outlines what the commission is learning from the experiences of other memorials, including the Aberfan memorial garden in South Wales, the Tree of Life Holocaust Memorial in Budapest, and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in New York.
The commission acknowledged other challenges it is facing, including engaging during the pandemic and working towards a consensus of opinion.
Further engagement with the community will take place over the coming months, before the commission publishes its final report next year.
The commission’s community representatives said: “Our mission is to create a respectful and lasting memorial to remember all those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower tragedy. This report tells our story so far – which is just one of many within our incredible community.
“We have made so much progress, but our work is far from complete. In the coming months, we’ll be reaching out to hear from other bereaved families, survivors and members of our community, to hear your views at every step of the way.
“We will never forget. And we hope to create a beautiful and peaceful place where we can come and remember together.”
A Department for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting the Memorial Commission and the community as they develop their vision for a fitting memorial to those who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower tragedy.
“The Memorial Commission is rightly putting the community at the heart of the decision-making process and we will welcome more detail on their plans once further consultation has taken place.”
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