Latest LFB figures show that more than 1,400 buildings now have simultaneous evacuation policies in place, signalling they are considered too unsafe for residents to follow the standard “stay put” guidance in the event of a fire.

The “stay put” strategy, which was originally advised during the Grenfell Tower fire and remains the default policy for most high-rise buildings, assumes a building’s structure can contain fire for at least 60 minutes, preventing it from spreading between flats. This approach relies heavily on sound building construction and compliance with fire safety regulations.

Edward Daffarn of Grenfell United stated the data demonstrates that many people in London are "still going to sleep in buildings that aren't safe".

The Grenfell tragedy, which occurred in North Kensington on 14 June 2017, claimed the lives of 72 people. Since then, scrutiny of high-rise fire safety in London has intensified, with the LFB conducting inspections on cladding, fire doors, windows, and the compartmentation systems designed to limit fire spread within buildings.

The number of buildings operating under simultaneous evacuation advice has now increased to 1,448, according to the LFB’s latest assessment. Of these, 883 buildings are taller than 26 feet (7.9 metres), with a further 565 below that height.

'A Legacy Must Be Created'

Mr Daffarn, who escaped from the 16th floor of Grenfell Tower, commented: “Eight years ago, standing underneath the burning wreckage of Grenfell Tower, I was convinced it would be the catalyst for societal change; that something so awful, which resulted in the horrific loss of 72 lives, could not happen without things changing.

"And yet we sit here eight years later and people are still going to sleep in buildings that aren't safe.

"We need to create a legacy for Grenfell that means that people that live in social housing, people that live in high-rise blocks, are treated with respect and live in safe buildings."

Reflecting on the emotional impact of the anniversary, and recognising that others may struggle with the ongoing presence of the tower, Mr Daffarn added: “I think the anniversary is made all the more poignant by the fact that this is the last time that we will meet with the tower in situ.

"We haven't got justice yet. It feels wrong to be pulling the tower down while so much remains unresolved."

Mr Daffarn expressed hope that a new Netflix documentary about the fire, due to be released next week, will galvanise government action.

He said: “It needs to put pressure on the government to ensure that the companies involved are not able to access public funding, and I'm hoping that this documentary will accelerate that process.”

Back in February, the Cabinet Office confirmed that seven companies were facing potential bans. By March, investigations had reportedly begun into all seven, examining whether any of them had engaged in professional misconduct under the Procurement Act 2023, something that could result in them being excluded from public contracts.

No timeframe has yet been provided for when conclusions will be reached.

Many of those affected by the fire, including bereaved families and survivors, have long been calling for criminal charges in relation to the disaster. Police and prosecutors have indicated that investigations may not be completed until the end of 2025, with decisions on any charges expected by the end of 2026.

The prolonged delay, nearly a decade, has been described by families as “unbearable”.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “[We] have been clear that the pace of remediation has been too slow for too long.

"That's why we are taking decisive action through our Remediation Acceleration Plan to fix unsafe buildings by 2029 faster, while we continue to support residents and identify buildings at risk."

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