January 14, 2013 – Inquest into the Lakanal House fire starts at Lambeth Town Hall
March 28 – Inquest closes with a damning verdict. The Coroner Judge publishes her recommendations to public bodies in the hope lessons learned can stop a similar tragedy from ever happening.
June 6 – Eric Pickles, then secretary of state for communities and local government, responds to the coroner’s recommendations and commits to reviewing building regulations.
2015
£9.5 million worth of work began on refurbishing the boarded up block to bring it back into use, after the council decided demolition wasn’t an option given Southwark’s chronic housing shortage.
Many former tenants had been resettled elsewhere and did not choose to move back into the block. Some flats on the top floor were sold off to help fund the work.
2016
The first families move back into the block. A number of original tenants were among them. A memorial garden with six trees provided an understated monument to those who lost their lives. Suggestions to change the blocks name were ultimately rejected.
2017
February 24 – Southwark Council pleads guilty to fire safety breaches that contributed to the six deaths in Lakanal House after charges were brought by London Fire Brigade.
February 28 – Southwark Council sentenced and fined £270,000 and told to pay costs of £300,000.
Anniversary
3rd July, 2019
On the ten-year anniversary, a multi-faith memorial service will be held at St Giles Church in Camberwell.
- READ MORE: Memorial Service planned to mark the Lakanal fire – 10 years on
- READ MORE: Timeline of the tower block blaze we thought would never happen again
- READ MORE: Lost to the inferno Catherine Hickman
- READ MORE: Lost to the inferno Dayana, Thais and Felipe Francisquini
- READ MORE: Lost to the inferno Helen Udoaka and baby Michelle Udoaka
- READ MORE: ‘We fear very much that lessons have not been learned and that it could happen again’