A senior housing figure who oversaw cost-cutting at Grenfell Tower before the 2017 fire has left a £150,000-a-year role at a London council’s housing company, following a backlash from bereaved families and survivors.
The Barnet Group confirmed in a letter to Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater — the constituency where Grenfell Tower stood — that Laura Johnson was “no longer employed by The Barnet Group”.
The company’s board chair, Eamon McGoldrick, wrote that the group “fully recognise[s] the depth of feeling surrounding the Grenfell Tower tragedy and its continuing impact on bereaved families, survivors, residents and the wider community”, adding that it “also fully acknowledge[s] legitimate public interest concerning governance of senior appointments”.
McGoldrick said he “owed obligations of confidentiality” to employees and declined to discuss the specifics of Johnson’s case. It is not clear exactly what led to her job being terminated.
Johnson served as director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) at the time of the June 2017 blaze, which killed 72 people, and the subsequent inquiry criticised her part in budget-cutting decisions taken before the fire.
The inquiry found she pressed for a new contractor to carry out renovation work on the tower at a lower cost, a decision that resulted in metal cladding being replaced with combustible plastic-filled panels to save money.
In August she was appointed director of development and property at the Barnet Group, which manages the borough’s 13,000 council homes, on a salary of £157,078. Bereaved families and survivors called the appointment “outrageous and disrespectful”.
Powell said: “It’s totally inappropriate for any individual criticised by the inquiry to continue to work in housing, particularly while criminal investigations are ongoing. It’s right that Laura Johnson is no longer in such a position.
“The Grenfell Tower inquiry was clear about the failings of the RBKC and senior individuals involved in the management of their housing, including the tower.”
Last month a Barnet Group spokesperson maintained that Johnson had been the “strongest candidate” in a competitive field, saying it had weighed her “professional experience, subsequent performance, references, qualifications and overall suitability for the role”.
A Barnet Group spokesperson said: “We can confirm that Laura Johnson is no longer employed by The Barnet Group.
“In common with any employer, we owe obligations of confidentiality to those working for us, applying for, or being considered for any role at any level. For that reason, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”
Last month the Metropolitan police said it had asked prosecutors to consider charges including manslaughter and fraud against 54 individuals, and 20 companies and organisations, over the Grenfell fire.
The Crown Prosecution Service said charging decisions would be made before the 10th anniversary of the disaster on 14 June 2027.
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