The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has submitted a planning application to the Planning Inspectorate
The Government has applied for planning permission to finish deconstructing Grenfell Tower. This process is separate from the planning application that will follow later this year for the Tower’s memorial.
An application by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government for carrying out the “sensitive works” to carefully take down the Tower – apart from the basement – has now been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate. Survivors and bereaved families made clear they didn’t want Kensington and Chelsea Council involved in future decisions on Grenfell which is why it won’t determine the application itself.
Work to take down Grenfell Tower began in September 2025 – a process which is expected to last around two years. A memorial at the site based on a community-led design will then be submitted by Freehaus.
Until now, a separate planning application process, called permitted development, had been used to authorise the take-down of the Tower. However, this planning permission only lasts for 12 months.
In a letter, Alison McGovern MP, Minister for Local Government and Homelessness, says that a Crown Development Application for the rest of the tower’s take-down has been sent to the Planning Inspectorate to be decided by the Secretary of State.
Addressing Joe Powell, who is MP for North Kensington, she says: “I would like to start by recognising the sensitivity of the Grenfell Tower and the deep trauma experienced by residents regarding this awful tragedy. You will know that Minister Samantha Dixon is the Minister responsible for the Grenfell community and Tower.
“However, to protect the independence of the planning decision making process, a different Minister must take planning decisions related to the Tower.
“I am writing to you as the Minister responsible for those decisions on behalf of the Secretary of State. Please be assured that MHCLG’s Ministers and officials stand ready to support you and your constituents through this process.”
Several concerns about the effects of the take-down of the tower were raised in the application. The MHCLG has said that there will be extensive monitoring and suppression of dust at the site. Noise will also be mitigated by well-silenced equipment and vibration monitoring.
Another concern is the potential of bat roosts in the building’s crevices and nesting birds in nearby trees. The project will see static bat detectors deployed and floor-by-floor endoscope checks of crevices.
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