London blaze survivors to be rehoused at luxury complex

The survivors of London's devastating Grenfell Tower fire will be rehoused in a luxury development in the heart of Kensington, the government said on Wednesday.

A total of 68 one-, two- and three-bedroom flats have been acquired at the Kensington Row development, it said. The apartments are "newly-built social housing" in a complex where the price of private homes starts at 1.5 million pounds, the Guardian reported.

Families who escaped the tower blaze will be able to take up permanent occupation in July and August in the apartments in the Kensington Row scheme about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) south of Grenfell.

At least 79 people died and many more were left homeless after a fire engulfed the 24-storey tower in North Kensington a week ago.

The upmarket Kensington Row complex includes a 24-hour concierge service, swimming pool, sauna and spa and a private cinema, the report said.

Each new home will be fully furnished, and the government said they will be completed to a high-specification.

It is not yet clear if the Grenfell residents will have access to the facilities, which are normally not included for those in affordable housing.

The Department for Communities and Local Government has provided "additional funding to fit out the flats to ensure they are ready for people to move in to sooner", a DCLG statement said.

It said the "expectation was that these new properties would be offered as one of the options to permanently rehouse residents from Grenfell Tower".

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid said Grenfell residents had been through "some of the most harrowing and traumatic experiences imaginable".

"Our priority is to get everyone who has lost their home permanently rehoused locally as soon as possible, so that they can begin to rebuild their lives," he added.

--IANS

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