Bishop of Barking Slams Government’s ‘Deeply Unsatisfactory’ Response to Unsafe Cladding After Dagenham Tower Block Fire

In a scathing critique of the UK government’s handling of building safety, the Bishop of Barking, Rt Revd Lynne Cullens, has labeled their response to unsafe cladding as “deeply unsatisfactory” following a major fire at a Dagenham tower block on Bank Holiday Monday. The fire, which broke out at a high-rise on Freshwater Road, saw over 100 residents evacuated as more than 200 firefighters battled the flames that engulfed the entire building. The blaze, brought under control just after 11 am, has reignited concerns over the government’s sluggish approach to cladding remediation, especially with the final report on the Grenfell Tower Fire set to be published next week.

The London Fire Brigade (LFB) confirmed that the Dagenham building, which was undergoing remedial work to remove non-compliant cladding, had known safety issues—a fact that has only intensified public outcry. Latest government data reveals that out of 4,630 residential buildings 11 meters or taller in England with unsafe cladding, fewer than a third have completed the remediation process. This glaring lack of progress has drawn sharp criticism from both the Bishop and Grenfell United, the group representing Grenfell Tower survivors. Bishop Lynne has called for immediate government action, emphasizing the need for a swift and reassuring response to prevent future tragedies. She praised the emergency services for their prompt action and assured that local churches and faith groups stand ready to provide ongoing support. As the nation awaits the Grenfell inquiry’s final report, the Dagenham fire serves as a grim reminder of the urgent need for comprehensive building safety reforms.

Bishop Lynne praised the emergency services who responded to the incident and added that local churches and faith partners were “primed and ready to offer pastoral and practical support in the days and weeks ahead.”

“I think we need to be praying for the government, and we need to be lobbying the government to make sure that the response is swift and effective in order to avoid a future tragedy,” she added.

Grenfell United, which represents the bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell Tower Fire, said the Dagenham blaze highlighted the “painfully slow progress of remediation across the country, and a lack of urgency for building safety as a whole”.