• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Watch: Council employee reduced to tears in Grenfell inquiry – saying “austerity” made his job impossible

Restructuring and staff reductions meant he had 130 projects to keep track of at the time.

Jack Peat by Jack Peat
2020-10-03 10:40
in News
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

A council employee responsible for building regulations during the Grenfell refurbishment broke down during the inquiry this week, saying austerity made his job impossible.

John Hoban said government-driven staffing cuts at Kensington and Chelsea council had ramped up his workload in the run-up to the tragedy, meaning he had 130 projects to keep track of at the time.

He said that following the death of another colleague he was responsible for hundreds of separate developments by 2016 – the year the Grenfell Tower refurbishment was signed off.

“I wasn’t visiting certain jobs”

Hoban told Wednesday’s session that an inevitable consequence of the increased workload, which followed a restructuring of his department in 2013, was that he could not get out to visit sites as much as he would have liked and had to seek some assurances about projects via email rather than in person.

“I wasn’t visiting certain jobs,” he said. “I was making judgments on who to visit and who to write to confirm things … the level of supervision, the standard of workmanship; whether you’d worked with particular people in the past and whether you considered that they were doing what they needed to do.”

Asked about the reason for the restructuring and staff reductions, Hoban replied: “It was mainly to do with cuts, austerity cuts.”

The inquiry subsequently heard that because Hoban had been involved with Grenfell refurbishment architect Studio E and early stage fire consultant Exova on the £40m Kensington Academy and Leisure Centre project – known as KALC – next to the tower, he knew and trusted the team.

RelatedPosts

Ofcom says its wont pursue complaints about Susanna Reid’s interview with PM

Abottlelypse Now: UK on brink of beer bottle shortage

Nick Ferrari says ‘nobody cares’ whether Johnson met with Sue Gray

Elizabeth line: When does London’s latest tube line open?

John Hoban, a council employee responsible for building regs during Grenfell refurb, breaks down in tears during inquiry.

He said “austerity” made his job impossible, with as many as 130 projects at one point.

He quit his job weeks before the fire. pic.twitter.com/lyXpDLAnwz

— Oli Dugmore (@OliDugmore) October 2, 2020

Studio E

“I had a confidence in the architects and the other professionals and Exova,” he said. “I dealt with them and considered that they knew what they were doing.”

Hoban said he was unaware that Studio E had never done a high-rise overcladding project before, or that Exova had not been retained as fire safety consultant when Rydon was awarded the design and build contract for the refurbishment in 2014.

“It was always my understanding that Exova were fully involved in the project,” he said.

Hoban added: “I considered it was reasonable to expect that architects would know and understand Building Regulations.”

The inquiry heard earlier in the day that Hoban quit his job as a senior building control surveyor at the west London council at the end of March 2017 because he did not feel able to do his job in the way he had been trained and felt the situation had been affecting his health. Hoban had worked as a building-control officer for more than three decades at that point.

Hoban told Wednesday’s hearing that he had originally planned to inspect work at Grenfell on a monthly basis.

The inquiry continues.

Related: Boris Johnson’s attempt to blame public for recent spike in cases dubbed “grossly insulting”

Tags: headline

Since you are here

Since you are here, we wanted to ask for your help.

Journalism in Britain is under threat. The government is becoming increasingly authoritarian and our media is run by a handful of billionaires, most of whom reside overseas and all of them have strong political allegiances and financial motivations.

Our mission is to hold the powerful to account. It is vital that free media is allowed to exist to expose hypocrisy, corruption, wrongdoing and abuse of power. But we can't do it without you.

If you can afford to contribute a small donation to the site it will help us to continue our work in the best interests of the public. We only ask you to donate what you can afford, with an option to cancel your subscription at any point.

To donate or subscribe to The London Economic, click here.

The TLE shop is also now open, with all profits going to supporting our work.

The shop can be found here.

You can also SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER .

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending
Abdollah

‘Rescue us’: Afghan teacher begs UK to help him escape Taliban

CHOMSKY: “If Corbyn had been elected, Britain would be pursuing a much more sane course”

What If We Got Rid Of Prisons?

More from TLE

Horrifying photos show seals now under constant threat from plastic rubbish

How will Brexit affect the Printing Industry in London

Tube buffs pay £50 to ride the last D-stock District Line train

Sex fiend who raped a girl gave thumbs up when he was jailed for 30 years

Watch – Mother duck and her ducklings escorted out of primary school

Ministers considering proposals to raise National Lottery age limit to 18

Review: Hedda Gabler at the National Theatre

England team to donate Euros prize money millions to NHS

Weather forecast, alerts and UVB index for London, Thursday 29 April 2021

Mollis Quam Sollicitudin Adipiscing

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.