129 The Employer’s Agent: Artelia

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Podcast

BBC

News

4.8 • 627 Ratings

🗓️ 9 October 2020

⏱️ 34 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Simon Cash, the Grenfell Tower Project Director at Artelia, told the Inquiry he felt uncomfortable about how part of the project’s tender process to employ a design and build contractor was carried out. He said he was not aware that Rydon, the main contractor, had been told they were in pole position to win the tender before the tender interviews had taken place. Neil Reed, also from Artelia, told the Inquiry that he thought some of Rydon’s work on the refurbishment was poor.

The Inquiry also heard evidence from John Allen, head of Building Control at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. John Allen denied there was a culture of bullying in the Building Control department. He thought John Hoban, who gave evidence last week, had adequate support.

Presenter / Producer: Kate Lamble Producer: Sharon Hemans Researcher: May Cameron

Transcript

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0:00.0	BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.
0:05.2	Hello and welcome to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry podcast with me, Kate Lamble.
0:10.1	This week at the inquiry, the head of building control of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea,
0:15.2	denied that the department suffered from a culture of bullying.
0:18.9	John Allen did not check the work of the surveyor responsible for Grenfell Tower.
0:23.5	And we heard that the company which administered the tender to award the lead contractor position
0:28.0	was uncomfortable with the way that process was carried out.
0:32.2	Let's get going with the evidence then.
0:34.1	John Allen had more than 25 years' experience working in building control.
0:38.6	He joined the Royal Barrow of Kensington and Chelsea in 2009 as the special projects manager.
0:43.5	They tend to be more complicated and generally larger in value, financial value.
0:49.6	He also worked as the department's marketing manager.
0:52.3	Trying to basically win those projects as well.
0:55.3	Searching leads, trying to do what you can, talk to the applicants to try and you're aware
1:00.4	that building controls in a competitive environment.
1:03.4	So try and win those projects for RBCC.
1:07.0	It might surprise you that building control, the body which checks designs comply with building regulations, operate in a commercially competitive environment.
1:16.4	But clients can choose between paying a local authority building control department to inspect their work and a private approved inspector.
1:24.4	We heard last week that in 2013 the local council took steps to try and make its
1:29.3	building control department cost neutral. The number of staff more than halved. Winning and
1:35.1	keeping projects became more important than ever. In September 2013, John Allen took over as
1:42.0	building control manager, responsible for the whole department.
	...

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