On 16th September 2026, two government reports were released at the same time: the final report from Thouria Istephan, outgoing interim Chief Construction Adviser reviewing progress across four priority areas, and the sixth progress report on the Grenfell Inquiry’s recommendations. Between them, they give the clearest picture yet of what’s been fixed since Grenfell and what still hasn’t.
Report One: The Grenfell Inquiry Progress Report
The Progress Report shows 30 of the Inquiry’s 61 recommendations have now been completed, with 31 still in progress. Nine have been completed since the last report was issued in May. The government expects the remainder to be implemented by the end of 2029, since some require new legislation to pass through parliament first.
Examples of what’s been completed include a review of commercial interests in building control, an independently peer-reviewed update to the London Fire Brigade’s Operational Learning process and a new legal requirement for high-rise resi buildings to keep information about vulnerable residents’ evacuation plans in an information box on the premises.
Separately, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MCHLG) own monthly remediation data shows it’s still monitoring 4,697 resi buildings over 11 metres high that have been identified as having unsafe cladding. So far, 54% of those have started or completed removing it and 39% have finished the work entirely.
Report Two: Istephan’s Final Report
Istephan’s report sets out four priority areas
- Reforming construction product regulations
- Raising standards for buildings and construction professionals
- Gathering evidence and learning from near misses
- Helping develop the permanent Chief Construction and Scientific Adviser role
On the first of these, construction product regulations, Istephan points to the Inquiry’s findings of “systematic dishonesty by many product manufacturers and sellers,” particularly around combustible cladding and insulation and says more work is still needed on product testing, certification and product information.
Nine years after Grenfell, product testing and certification is still described as unfinished business.
What This Means For Fire Doors And Specification
Fire doors featured in the Inquiry’s findings from the start. Back in 2019, the phase 1 report covering the night the fire itself, concluded that fire doors in Grenfell had failed to hold back smoke because many lacked effective self-closing devices, some of which had been broken or removed altogether. These alterations caused smoke and toxic gases to spread through the building faster than they should have.
The government still describes product testing and certification concerns since Grenfell as unfinished business, which makes choosing a supplier who can demonstrate it now, a key priority.
Every fire door we manufacture is independently tested and certified under BM TRADA and FIRAS before it leaves our facility, not just checked against our own internal standard. That’s not a response to either report specifically, it’s how we’ve always worked, but it’s exactly the standard both reports are pushing the wider industry towards.
Get in touch with us to talk through fire door specification and certification for your project, or call 0800 035 6827.
