Mr
CurrentI am an advisor to the All Party Parliamentary Fire & Rescue Group and founder member of the President of the RIBA's Expert Advisory Group investigating the Grenfell Tower Fire. From 2009 to 2013, I acted as an Expert Witness advising the three families of the three young women, and three small children, including a three week old baby, who died in the Lakanal House Fire 3 July 2009 in Camberwell. Until the Grenfell Tower Fire this was the worst peacetime fire in a postwar block of flats.Between 1968 and 1988 I researched the construction of Ronan Point and other Large Panel System Buildings. My research led to the creative demolition of Ronan Point and the 8 other LPS blocks on the Freemason's Road Estate in Newham London.Frances Clarke of Community Links Newham and I founded the National Tower Blocks Network in the 1980s to advise tenants on Fire Safety in high-rise buildings. Despite warnings in 1986 of fire risk one of the three 24 storey REEMA (LPS) blocks of flats at Royston Hill in Glasgow, overclad with polystyrene panels and aluminium sheeting caught fire. They were demolished. In our 1990 report we warned the Home Office of a major fire in a tower block of Kings Cross proportions.From 1968 I advised Paul Foot of Private Eye and not only did our work ask searching questions about LPS construction and its suitability for highrise buildings but we also uncovered the Poulson Affair. I also worked with Joan Littlewood of the Theatre Workshop and John Wells of Private Eye on a production called, "The Projector." Although this was set in Restoration London for theatrical purposes, it was about Ronan Point.I have been a nationally elected member of both the RIBA Council and the Architectural Association Council, an external examiner for parts I, II & III of the RIBA Examinations. Currently I serve on the RIBA PCC and the RIBA Expert Committee investigating Grenfell Tower .Since the beginning of 2016 I have become a retired Chartered Member of the RIBA.
