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Hello and welcome to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry podcast with me, Kate Lamble.

This week, the inquiry returned after its summer break to hear evidence from the specialist

cladding contractor, Harley.

So, a couple of headlines first.

Harley's managing director denied that his company put pressure

on the architect Studio E to use combustible cladding materials on Grenfell. He said he was

confused by guidance concerning building regulations. Let's get started with the evidence then.

Harley Fasades, or Harley Curtin Wall, as they were then known, was a small but

successful specialist contractor, which had been operating for more than 15 years by the time

the Grenfell refurbishment took place. Specialising in designing and constructing external

cladding facades, they'd been involved in several projects on high-rise residential blocks.

One of those, the Chalcott's Estate in Camden, was alongside Ryden,

the firm who would later win the design and build tender for Grenfell Tower.

Specialists like Harley are brought onto a project to add detailed design

to an architect's initial proposal, source the cladding materials,

and then install them. But in the case of Grenfell, Harley got involved at a very early stage.

Commercial director Mark Harris, who was responsible for securing contracts and sales for

Harley, heard about the project in March 2013 after searching a planning website.

The following month, he emailed Studio E, expressing an interest in the project.

Overcladding tower blocks is very much what we do, and specifically in London, hence our keen interest in Grenfell.

I've attached a small selection of tower block project info sheets and would welcome the opportunity of meeting up with you

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