Grenfell-era housing director appointed to senior Barnet council role

Laura Johnson, who was Kensington and Chelsea’s housing director during the Grenfell Tower refurbishment, has been appointed permanent development and property director at the Barnet Group, which manages 13,000 council homes.

Johnson had held the role on an interim basis before being appointed permanently in August on a reported salary of £157,078 a year. The appointment has drawn criticism from Grenfell survivors and bereaved relatives, who cited findings from the Grenfell inquiry.

The inquiry found that Johnson pushed for a lower-budget contractor during the tower’s refurbishment. It also found that combustible plastic-filled cladding panels were substituted for metal cladding to save money, and that installation of self-closing fire-door mechanisms was slowed for “financial and practical reasons” despite warnings from the London Fire Brigade.

Grenfell United urged the Barnet Group, which is owned by Barnet council, to reconsider the appointment, describing it as showing “a staggering disregard” for the inquiry’s findings. Survivor Ed Daffarn called the decision “absolutely outrageous”.

The Barnet Group said it knew of the inquiry findings and considered them during a competitive, publicly advertised recruitment process. It said Johnson’s experience, performance, references, qualifications and suitability made her the strongest candidate and that she was legally eligible to hold the position.

The Metropolitan police is seeking charges against 57 individuals and 20 companies in relation to the 2017 fire. The Crown Prosecution Service expects to decide whether charges will be brought by June 2027. The available findings do not establish criminal liability against Johnson.