黑洞社区

November 1968

The first evacuations of tall blocks was announced by the Greater London Council five months after the collapse, in November 1968.

A total of 29 blocks will be cleared for strengthening, a decision that involves 1430 families, or 6000 people. Newham announced the evacuation of three blocks near Ronan Point, and the GLC said that 26 of its own blocks, housing 1100 families on eight estates, were to be strengthened in the next 12 months.

Desmond Plummer, leader of the GLC, emphasised that there was 鈥渘o cause for alarm鈥�. He said that the risk of progressive collapse was 鈥渙ne in 2 million鈥�. Strengthening work is expected to cost about鈥� 拢1m and a start will be made as soon as possible on one block on each estate. The GLC has spent 拢360,000 replacing gas with electricity.

Mr Plummer promised that no removal costs would fall on tenants. The GLC would be expecting financial aid from the government. Horace Cutler, chairman of the housing committee, said that when work was complete tenants would have a choice of going back to their homes or staying where they were.

He said that they were being asked to move because of the nature of the strengthening work and not because of the remote risk. It has been decided that gas will not be reinstalled once the work is complete.

Anthony Greenwood, the minister of housing, said that there should be 鈥渘o witch hunt鈥� after the 鈥渢ragic event鈥�. As to the report of the Comit茅 Europ茅en de Breton referred to in the inquiry, which made specific mention of the dangers of the danger of progressive collapse, he said the absence of an English translation was 鈥渘ot all that relevant鈥�.

It has been received by the BRS in August 1967 and passed to the BSI in September that year, so it was 鈥渓ogical to think that it had been influencing thinking on the new code of practice鈥�. Nevertheless the minister admitted that 鈥減ossibly its full significance was not fully appreciated in the early days鈥�.

Local authorities have been studying the hastily compiled technical advice on appraising and strengthening their tall precast concrete panel blocks of flats that has been produced by the ministry.

There are two basic methods of preventing progressive collapse: firstly, by providing alternative paths of support to carry the load; secondly, by producing a form of construction of such stiffness and continuity so as to ensure stability.

There has been criticism that the circular it has published is 鈥渃onfusing鈥� and 鈥渋nadequate鈥�. Some engineers feel that the document errs in merely laying down criteria so that the burden of decision rests with local authorities ill-equipped to deal with this kind of technical problem.