First Grenfell annual report details progress across construction and fire services
Iain Hoey
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Grenfell annual report published in Parliament
The government has published its first annual report on progress implementing the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 recommendations.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government published the report on 25 February 2026 and laid it in Parliament, followed by an oral statement by the Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The document groups recommendations under four themes covering the construction industry, fire and rescue services, response and recovery, and vulnerable people including Phase 1 recommendations related to Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans.
A total of 58 Phase 2 recommendations were made to government and responsible organisations, all of which were accepted.
Twelve recommendations have now been implemented, completed and formally discharged, including two remaining Phase 1 recommendations.
Government projections indicate that 70% of recommendations will be closed by the end of 2026.
Quarterly progress reports are scheduled for publication in May, September and December 2026.
Translations of the annual report are also planned.
Report sets out implementation progress across safety, enforcement and remediation
The executive summary provides a breakdown of 28 recommendations linked to the construction industry, 13 related to fire and rescue services, 14 covering response and recovery and six addressing vulnerable people and remaining Phase 1 measures.
Across all themes, 49 recommendations remain in progress and 12 have been completed.
Building safety, fire safety and emergency response functions have now been brought under a single departmental lead.
On 27 January 2026, the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) became an independent legal entity, transferring from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to operate as an arm’s-length body under the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Consultation has also been launched on extending building control requirements to telecommunications works.
Alongside the annual report, a Construction Products Reform White Paper was published outlining regulatory changes, with further consultation underway on introducing a general safety requirement for currently unregulated products and plans to bring forward secondary legislation later in 2026.
A review of statutory building safety guidance is continuing, supported by an expert panel appointed in July 2025, with an interim report expected in spring 2026.
During 2025, more than 1,200 professionals across fire engineering, building control and construction completed updated competency training aligned with new frameworks.
The Fire Engineers Advisory Panel’s competency statement has been adopted by 35 higher education institutions.
The Building Control Independent Panel has reviewed over 220 evidence submissions to inform recommendations due later in 2026.
Regulatory activity has increased, with local regulators issuing 124% more formal notices and conducting 140% more inspections compared with the previous year.
More than 110 building assessments were supported by the Joint Inspection Team, resulting in 15 enforcement actions where risks remained unresolved.
The Remediation Enforcement Unit is scheduled to reach full staffing by the end of March 2026.
By December 2025, remediation work had started or been completed on 2,168 buildings, including 1,475 where remediation was fully complete.
Developers have confirmed remediation pathways for 93% of buildings covered by the Developer Contract, with work started or completed on 41% of buildings with confirmed defects.
More than 4,500 residents have accessed government funded training and rights information, and the expanded Resident Panel has contributed to over 20 policy decisions.
The Make Things Right campaign reached an estimated 1.8 million tenants, contributing to increased early-stage reporting of issues.
Emergency preparedness measures included updated National Resilience Standards training completed by more than 2,000 responders during 2025.
Five Local Resilience Forum Trailblazer areas are testing integrated resilience leadership models, with early findings expected in summer 2026.
Updated statutory guidance on supporting vulnerable residents was published in April 2025.
Memorial legislation and reform programme outlined
The annual report confirms that legislation will be introduced to enable the construction and maintenance of the Grenfell Tower Memorial.
Plans include the creation of both a public memorial space and a private memorial area for those most directly affected, as recommended by an independent panel.
In the ministerial foreword, Reed said: “The tragedy was preventable, and it should have been prevented.”
The report also sets out planned reforms to the construction products regulatory framework through the publication of a white paper and consultation on new safety requirements, with further legislation planned later in 2026.