Bereaved individuals who lost loved ones in the Infected Blood scandal, the Grenfell Tower fire, and the Stardust fire have joined forces to demand justice and accountability. The gathering took place seven years after the Grenfell Tower disaster and more than 40 years after the Stardust fire, with participants expressing solidarity and calling for action. The Metropolitan Police recently announced that their investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire will not be finalized until the end of 2025, and prosecutors will then need another year to determine if charges can be brought. Grenfell United, an organization representing many of the bereaved and survivors, has been advocating for the establishment of a national oversight mechanism, an independent public body responsible for compiling, analyzing, and following up on recommendations from public inquiries. Edward Daffarn, a former resident of the tower and member of Grenfell United, criticized the lack of progress in ensuring the safety of disabled individuals living in high-rise buildings, stating that they are still at risk. Grenfell United also supports the implementation of a Hillsborough Law, which would include a legal duty of candor on public authorities and officials to cooperate with investigations and inquiries.
President Michael D Higgins will lead a State remembrance ceremony in the Garden of Remembrance in Dublin City Centre on Sunday afternoon to honor the victims, survivors, and those affected by the Stardust fire. The ceremony, co-designed with the families of the victims, will include wreath-laying, spoken word, music, and song. The families of the survivors and victims will lay wreaths and read out the names of those who died. The ceremony comes after more than 40 years of campaigning for justice, with an inquest in April finding that the 48 young people who died in the 1981 Stardust fire were unlawfully killed. The event will be televised live on RTÉ 1.
In Harrow, Ontario, Canada, a family of four was found dead, prompting a grieving community to hold a candlelight vigil [6fad7ca5]. The victims' identities have not been released, and the circumstances surrounding their deaths have not been disclosed. The vigil took place at the Harrow Soccer Complex and was attended by hundreds of people who offered flowers, gifts, and prayers. The mother of the family was described as someone who could always be counted on, and the generosity shown by the community in the wake of their deaths was seen as a testament to the family's importance in the small community. The Harrow Health Centre is offering free counseling to community members, and donations from the vigil will go towards funeral arrangements.
Michael Hitchcock, a widower living in Calne, Wiltshire, is devastated by plans from housing association GreenSquareAccord to demolish his family home of 27 years. The association has launched a public consultation on the plans to knock down four properties on Dixon Way and replace them with up to nine new build homes. Mr. Hitchcock, who lost his wife last year, expressed his heartbreak and the flood of memories associated with the house. No planning application has been submitted yet, and the proposal is in the early design and consultation stage. GreenSquareAccord aims to increase the number of affordable homes and ensure energy efficiency and modern construction methods. Impacted residents will have the opportunity to return to one of the newly built homes once construction is complete. [061e6e53]
Three proposals to convert family houses into small children’s care homes will be debated by Hyndburn councillors next week. The applications will be discussed at the Council's planning committee on Tuesday (July 9). Two requests for certificates of lawful development are recommended for refusal while one full planning application is recommended for approval. The proposals include turning 22 Abbott Clough Avenue, Oswaldtwistle into a Supported Living home, turning 2a Allsprings Drive, Great Harwood into a children’s home, and converting 6 Grasmere Close, Rishton into a children’s home. The applications are part of a series of proposals in response to the growing number of children’s care homes in the borough. [8d728f04]
The Troubles bereaved have welcomed the announcement by the UK Government that it will repeal the controversial Legacy Act. The Act, which aimed to address the legacy of Northern Ireland's troubled past, has been almost universally opposed. The Government is expected to repeal the policy of offering conditional immunity for Troubles crimes as a first step. Victims and victims' groups have expressed relief and called for swift action to follow through on the commitment to repeal. The repeal and replacement of the Act is seen as an important step toward overturning a historic wrong and ensuring justice and accountability for all victims. The new Labour Government plans to address legacy issues in consultation with Northern Ireland's political parties and communities, as well as the Irish Government. [5fa1102b]