This story was written with AI assistance from Harmsworth
Who is Harmsworth?
The government has announced its intention to award the contract to demolish Grenfell Tower to the firm currently maintaining the site, without a competition.
In a notice published today (25 April), the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) said the new £12.25m deal would broaden the scope of Deconstruct’s current maintenance and safety contract.
The amendment will authorise the firm to carry out planned dismantling of the 24-storey tower to ground level.
Deconstruct has acted as principal contractor at the site since 2017.
Its responsibilities to date have included structural propping, security and maintenance, and site clearance. The company has also led weekly monitoring of the building’s condition.
MHCLG said the variation was justified under public contracts regulations, citing technical reasons and the risk of “significant inconvenience and substantial duplication of costs” if a new contractor were appointed.
Deconstruct’s long-term involvement on site, including knowledge of the building’s structure and local area, was cited as a key factor in the decision to extend the firm’s role.
“This kind of knowledge cannot be gleaned quickly, and the relationships have now been formed over years,” the notice said.
The value of the modification is almost exactly half the value of the original £24.5m contract.
The government said the building should be deconstructed “at the earliest opportunity” due to safety concerns.
“The longer the building is left in place, the risk of the structure’s condition deteriorating to an unacceptable level, and the risks to the site operatives, who must go inside the building, increase,” the notice said.
MHCLG also warned that further delays would raise the likelihood of emergency works being required.
It argued that planned deconstruction would allow for a safer, less disruptive process than emergency demolition, including greater control of noise and dust.
Engineering assessments have found that the tower can currently be dismantled safely.
The modified contract will take effect following a mandatory 30-day standstill period.
The 24-storey tower in west London has remained standing since June 2017, when it was the site of the deadliest residential fire in the UK since the Second World War.
In February, deputy prime minister Angela Rayner briefed survivors and bereaved families that the building would be demolished..
At that time, Grenfell United, a group of survivors and bereaved families, said demolition of the structure was not widely supported and the Grenfell community had not been adequately consulted on the decision.
Source: Gov.uk Find a Tender
Read More
Colin Marrs