Five years after Grenfell, 600,000 people in UK remain at risk from dangerous cladding

Only 6 per cent of homes have been stripped of combustible cladding since 2017 disaster

Tributes have been paid to the 72 people who died at Grenfell Tower in west London on the fifth anniversary of the disaster. Getty.

More than half a million people in Britain are still at risk from unsafe cladding at their homes five years after the Grenfell Tower fire.

Seventy-two men, women and children died when a blaze broke out at an apartment block in West London. It was the worst residential fire since the Second World War.

The disaster led to a further crisis when it emerged that thousands of homes across the country had combustible cladding, requiring many homeowners to foot the bill to have it removed.

Since then, owners of up to 1.5 million flats in blocks taller than 11 metres have found it difficult to sell their homes owing to fire-safety issues.

The government estimates there are about 640,000 people living in 345,000 properties across Britain where there is a significant fire risk.

Despite the government pledging to raise £9 billion ($11bn) to help affected home owners, only 6 per cent of homes have had the dangerous cladding removed, figures show.

“Five years on, we have yet to see any justice for those who lost their lives at Grenfell,” said the UK Cladding Action Group, which campaigns on behalf of affected flat owners.

“Five years on, the government has failed in its repeated promises to keep hundreds of thousands of citizens safe.”

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  People place white roses at a memorial service for those who died in the Grenfell Tower fire, outside Westminster Abbey in London. Reuters

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  Marlene Anderson, the daughter of victim Raymond Bernard, speaks during the memorial service. Reuters

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  People observe the memorial near the Grenfell Tower site in London. AP Photo

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  Candles with the names of the victims are lit during the memorial service at Westminster Abbey. Getty Images

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  Mayor of London Sadiq Khan arrives for the memorial service at Westminster Abbey. Getty Images

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  Messages of support written on a wall surrounding Grenfell Tower in west London. AFP

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  A message left at the Grenfell Tower Memorial Wall near the Grenfell Tower. EPA

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  A man lays a wreath at the Grenfell Tower Memorial Wall. EPA

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  Flames and smoke billow as firefighters tackle the blaze in Grenfell Tower, West London, in June 2017. Reuters

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  The fire claimed 72 lives. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the disaster. PA

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  The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, declared the fire a major incident. Getty Images

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  A helicopter circles as smoke rises from the building. Getty Images

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  Smoke billowing from the fire that engulfed the 24-storey building. PA

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  Firefighters and emergency services gather at the building. Getty Images

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  A Grenfell Tower fire survivor has said he is worried the tragedy may become 'the precursor to something bigger' because of the lack of progress in implementing change. PA

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  The plastic and aluminium cladding installed on the sides of the tower was cited as the main cause of flames rapidly spreading up the building, the first report of the Grenfell inquiry stated. Reuters

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  People write messages on a wall near the scene of the fire. Reuters

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  Missing persons posters were displayed in a street near the scene in the aftermath of the fire. Reuters

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  A man donating water to a stall set up to help people affected by the fire. Getty Images

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  People writing tributes and messages of condolence for the victims on a wall near the site. Getty Images

This month, the UK government announced that the use of the type of cladding on Grenfell Tower, a material known as MCM PE, was banned in new buildings.

It prohibited metal composite material panels with an unmodified polyethylene core on all new buildings of any height in England. A ban on MCM PE previously applied only to buildings higher than 11 metres.

On the eve of the disaster's anniversary, some former residents said little had changed with fire safety in England.

Last month, the government said it planned to keep its “stay put” policy in place, which urges residents of most buildings to wait for rescue services in the event of a fire rather than leaving their homes.

Tiago Alves, 25, escaped from Grenfell in the early stages of the blaze and said many survivors "managed to get out early because they ignored ‘stay put’ advice".

“And so I’m gobsmacked at the fact that we’re still having this conversation five years on," he said.

On Tuesday, a multi-faith memorial service was held at Westminster Abbey for those who died in the fire. The names of all 72 victims were read out during a moment of silence.

Another service was held at the foot of Grenfell Tower, alongside former residents and the families of victims.