Image copyright PA Image caption Detectives are set to complete their 13-month investigation at the Grenfell Tower site in west London

The government will take responsibility for Grenfell Tower when the police release the site as a crime scene.

The housing ministry will take over safety and security until the community decides how the site should be used.

Kensington and Chelsea Council, which owns the site but will not have a management role, welcomed the decision.

Survivors of the 2017 fire, in which 72 people died, had feared the council would take control of the west London site and said they were "relieved".

Natasha Elcock, a member of survivor and bereaved group Grenfell United, said: "It's hard to put into words how personal what happens to the site is to all of us who lived in the tower, lost loved ones in the fire and for the wider community.

"The people we lost that night will be forever in our hearts and it will be survivors, bereaved families and the community that will make decisions together about what happens to the site now and how we remember the loved ones we lost."

Image copyright Reuters Image caption A march marking the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower fire

The government, which is set to take over management of the site in the autumn, has said access for those involved in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry remains the priority.

Decisions taken by central government will be implemented by the independent team - led by the chief executive of Bromley Council - which has overseen day-to-day management of the site since last July.

The land will be transferred to a body representing the bereaved and survivors once an appropriate body is set up and when the land is ready for use - as set out in an agreement between the government, the local council and community groups.

A spokesman for Kensington and Chelsea Council said it should be for the Grenfell community to decide on the tower's future.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said Wednesday's announcement was "the next step on the journey to a fitting memorial".</s>The forensic investigation of Grenfell Tower is completed and the site is no longer a crime scene, the Metropolitan Police has said.

Commander Stuart Cundy confirmed officers "have everything we need from the tower" as he sought to reassure victims.

72 people were killed in the blaze at the west London tower of flats in June 2017.

Cdr Cundy said the police had worked "meticulously" on a detailed examination of the tower and that they had recorded "every aspect" of it - inside and out.

It can now be "virtually recreated" to help with ongoing investigations.

Cdr Cundy added: "We have carefully planned for this day and are satisfied that passing over control of the tower will have no bearing on the ongoing criminal investigation or any subsequent criminal proceedings.

"Simply put, we have everything we need from the tower.

"I recognise that releasing the tower as a crime scene is a significant milestone and we have updated bereaved families and survivors that whilst our work on the site is now complete, our large and complex police investigation continues."

Police will now hand over day-to-day management of the site to an independent site management team, led by the chief executive of Bromley borough council, Doug Patterson.

Three interviews have already been carried out under caution by detectives investigating the fire, Scotland Yard confirmed last month.

It is "likely" that further interviews will take place in the "coming weeks and months", it added.

Offences being considered include "gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and breaches of the health and safety act".

Since June this year, the tower has been covered with white sheeting and banners with the green Grenfell heat around the top.

On Wednesday, members of survivors' group Grenfell United said they were "relieved" that the government will take over the site from the autumn.

That could allow for a "fitting memorial" once the tower is demolished, which is being planned by survivors and the bereaved.</s>Grenfell Tower in London is no longer a crime scene after police completed the forensic examination of the site.

Commander Stuart Cundy, who is leading the city's Metropolitan Police investigation into the tragedy, said “huge quantities of material of evidential value” had been gathered, adding: “Simply put, we have everything we need from the tower.”

Some 72 people died as a result of the fire on June 14 last year.

The force has briefed survivors and the bereaved and has also informed the local authority, the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, of the move.

Grenfell Tower has been covered in plastic sheeting (PA)

While the council still owns the plot, it has not had any involvement running the site since the tragedy, and it will not resume responsibility or have input into its future when the police move on.

Instead, as was always intended, the site will continue to be managed day-to-day by the independent site team under the command of Doug Patterson, chief executive of Bromley council.

Since the one-year anniversary, the tower’s charred shell has been covered from top to bottom with white sheeting and banners with the green Grenfell heart emblazoned around the top.

Eyes will now turn to what will become of the structure in the long term.

A banner with a green heart is wrapped around Grenfell Tower (PA)

On Wednesday, members of the survivors’ group Grenfell United said they were “relieved” at the news that the British Government would be taking over the site from the autumn.

The move paves the way for the creation of a “fitting memorial” once the tower is demolished, the shape of which is being planned by survivors and the bereaved.

Announcing the completion of the forensic work on the tower, Commander Cundy said in a statement: “Police specialists and forensic experts have worked meticulously over the past year to ensure that the detailed examination of Grenfell Tower has been completed to the highest standards.

“This has been supported by a series of off-site tests and reconstructions.

“We have documented the results of a thorough forensic examination and recovered huge quantities of material of evidential value, working with experts to examine the building construction and maintenance systems.

“We have recorded every aspect of the tower, both inside and out, using laser scanning as well as extensive photography and videography which enables us to virtually recreate the Grenfell Tower as part of our ongoing investigation.

“We have carefully planned for this day and are satisfied that passing over control of the tower will have no bearing on the ongoing criminal investigation or any subsequent criminal proceedings.

“Simply put, we have everything we need from the tower.

“In the six months following the fire, one of our key priorities was to recover, identify and return all those who tragically died to their families.

“From the outset, we have also been relentless in our investigations at the tower.

“I recognise that releasing the tower as a crime scene is a significant milestone and we have updated bereaved families and survivors that whilst our work on the site is now complete, our large and complex police investigation continues.”</s>PA Wire/PA Images ﻿The future of the tower is due to be decided in Autumn, with members of the community promised a say

The forensic investigation of Grenfell Tower has been completed and the site is no longer a crime scene, the Metropolitan Police have announced.

An independent site management team is now in charge of the site, taking charge of health, safety and security.

The Government will now take direct responsibility for the Grenfell Tower site, rather than the building’s owners, Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council.

A final decision about the future of the tower is due in Autumn, with Theresa May promising that the Grenfell community will have a say in what happens next on the site.

Commander Stuart Cundy, said: “In the six months following the fire, one of our key priorities was to recover, identify and return all those who tragically died to their families.

“From the outset, we have also been relentless in our investigations at the tower.

“I recognise that releasing the tower as a crime scene is a significant milestone and we have updated bereaved families and survivors that whilst our work on the site is now complete, our large and complex police investigation continues.”

He added: “Simply put, we have everything we need from the tower.”</s>LONDON — British police have finished their forensic examination of Grenfell Tower more than a year after a fast-moving fire at the London high-rise killed 72 people.

Forensics officers spent months combing through the charred rubble for victims’ remains and for clues to how a blaze that started in an apartment kitchen was able to race through the 24-story residential building.

Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said Thursday that officers recovered “huge quantities of material” for a criminal investigation.

Police are considering corporate manslaughter charges in the June 2017 blaze. No one has been charged yet.

Grenfell Tower no longer is a crime scene now that the search for physical evidence is done.

The police force says it will turn the publicly owned building over to the government. Survivors and residents will help decide what form of memorial will replace the gutted tower.</s>LONDON (AP) - British police have finished their forensic examination of Grenfell Tower more than a year after a fast-moving fire at the London high-rise killed 72 people.

Forensics officers spent months combing through the charred rubble for victims' remains and for clues to how a blaze that started in an apartment kitchen was able to race through the 24-story residential building.

Metropolitan Police Commander Stuart Cundy said Thursday that officers recovered "huge quantities of material" for a criminal investigation.

FILE - In this Friday, June 23, 2017 file photo, the burnt Grenfell Tower apartment building is seen in London. British police say on Thursday, Aug. 2, 2018 they have finished their forensic examination of Grenfell Tower, more than a year after the London high-rise was ravaged by a fire that killed 72 people. Forensics officers spent months combing through the charred rubble for victims' remains, and for clues to how a blaze that started in an apartment kitchen was able to race through the 24-storey residential block. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein, file)

Police are considering corporate manslaughter charges in the June 2017 blaze. No one has been charged yet.

Grenfell Tower no longer is a crime scene now that the search for physical evidence is done.

The police force says it will turn the publicly owned building over to the government. Survivors and residents will help decide what form of memorial will replace the gutted tower.</s>LONDON (Reuters) - British police said on Thursday they had completed the forensic examination of Grenfell Tower after a fire that killed 71 at the building last year, adding that it was no longer required as a crime scene by investigators.

“We have carefully planned for this day and are satisfied that passing over control of the tower will have no bearing on the ongoing criminal investigation or any subsequent criminal proceedings,” Commander Stewart Cundy said in a statement.

“Simply put, we have everything we need from the tower.”

An independent site management team will be responsible the site on a day-to-day basis, with the government making operational decisions.

Police have said they are considering possible criminal offences including gross negligence manslaughter, corporate manslaughter and breaches of the Health and Safety Act as part of their investigation.</s>The remains of Grenfell Tower will be placed under Government control after a 13-month investigation of the site of the tragedy ends.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced it would take over legal responsibilities instead of Kensington and Chelsea Council this month.

Seventy-two people have been confirmed dead in the fire which engulfed the Ladbroke Grove block in June, 2017.

Survivors were furious at the thought of the local council being the legal owner of the site, after the tragedy, as evidence over the cladding comes to light.

The combustable cladding is thought to have contributed to the spread of the fire that killed at least 80 people.

Officials from the local authority were likewise reluctant to trigger sensitivities through any involvement, with anger still simmering over the role it played in the botched refurbishment.

Specialist teams from Scotland Yard have been picking through the remnants of the blaze as part of a vast investigation into the disaster on June 14 last year.

The husk of the west London block is now shrouded in white sheeting while those touched by the tragedy decide on its future.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) will remain legal owners of the building, but the Government will make operational decisions until its fate is decided, the MHCLG said on Wednesday.

Natasha Elcock, a survivor from Grenfell Tower and member of survivor and bereaved group Grenfell United, said: 'We are relieved that the Government has listened to us and stepped in to make sure that RBKC will not be managing site and will have no involvement in any decisions about the site.

'It's hard to put into words how personal what happens to the site is to all of us who lived in the tower, lost loved ones in the fire, and for the wider community.

'The people we lost that night will be forever in our hearts and it will be survivors, bereaved families and the community that will make decisions together about what happens to the site now and how we remember the loved ones we lost.'</s>Grenfell Tower will come under government control once detectives wrap up their 13-month investigation at the site.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced it would take over legal responsibilities instead of Kensington and Chelsea Council this month.

It followed anger among survivors and bereaved families at the prospect of the tower’s remains being handed to the council, as legal owner.

Officials from the authority were likewise reluctant to trigger sensitivities through any involvement, with anger still simmering over the role it played in the botched refurbishment blamed for fuelling the fire.

Specialist teams from Scotland Yard have been picking through the remnants of the blaze as part of a vast investigation into the disaster on June 14 last year.

The husk of the west London block is now shrouded in white sheeting while those touched by the tragedy decide on its future.</s>Grenfell Tower will come under Government control once detectives wrap up their 13-month investigation at the site.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) announced it would take over legal responsibilities instead of Kensington and Chelsea Council this month.

It followed anger among survivors and bereaved families at the prospect of the tower’s remains being handed to the council, as legal owner.

Officials from the authority were likewise reluctant to trigger sensitivities through any involvement, with anger still simmering over the role it played in the botched refurbishment blamed for fuelling the fire.

Specialist teams from Scotland Yard have been picking through the remnants of the blaze as part of a vast investigation into the disaster on June 14 last year.

The husk of the west London block is now shrouded in white sheeting while those touched by the tragedy decide on its future.

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) will remain legal owners of the building, but the Government will make operational decisions until its fate is decided, the MHCLG said on Wednesday.

Natasha Elcock, a survivor from Grenfell Tower and member of survivor and bereaved group Grenfell United, said: “We are relieved that the Government has listened to us and stepped in to make sure that RBKC will not be managing site and will have no involvement in any decisions about the site.

“It’s hard to put into words how personal what happens to the site is to all of us who lived in the tower, lost loved ones in the fire, and for the wider community.

“The people we lost that night will be forever in our hearts and it will be survivors, bereaved families and the community that will make decisions together about what happens to the site now and how we remember the loved ones we lost.”

The Government will take decisions about the site including security arrangements, safety and access.

This will then be put into action by the independent team who have overseen day-to-day management of the site since last July, led by Doug Patterson, chief executive of Bromley Council.

A formal agreement will be finalised in the autumn, the MHCLG said.

The move paves the way for the creation of a “fitting memorial” once the tower is demolished, the shape of which is being planned by survivors and bereaved.

The MHCLG reaffirmed the Prime Minister’s “own personal commitment” that the process will be led by those affected and the wider community.

Survivors and bereaved families will take control of the site once an “appropriate body” representing them has been established.

Core participants and expert witnesses to the public inquiry still require access to the site, the Government said, which “must continue to take priority”.
England announces that the Ministry of Housing will manage Grenfell Tower in London once the investigation into the fire that gutted the building and killed 72 people is complete.