Council removes firm from blacklist of building products suppliers after judicial review challenge

The firm – which manufactures external passive fire protection – was previously excluded from council procurement processes after it was named in the Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 report.

Siderise issued judicial review proceedings in February this year challenging the council’s decision.

Commenting on the litigation in February, the firm said that the inquiry’s report was “clear that neither Siderise nor its products contributed to the tragic fire or its spread, and there is no suggestion that Siderise was not candid before the Inquiry, and therefore this exclusion is unwarranted”.

The firm also highlighted the council's decision not to prohibit other companies because there was no evidence of either dishonesty or incompetence on their part.

"Given there is no suggestion in the Grenfell Inquiry Reports of dishonesty on the part of Siderise or any deficiencies in its products, the company should therefore not have been included in the RBKC decision", the firm added.

The High Court granted permission for the legal challenge to go ahead, however, the royal borough decided to remove Siderise from its list of prohibited suppliers before the hearing took place.

In a press release issued last week (17 July), the firm confirmed that the royal borough had now formally removed the company from its exclusion list.

The council has also updated its website to state that Siderise is no longer black-listed. 

Siderise stated: “This decision reflects the fact that Siderise, as supported by the findings of the Grenfell Inquiry report, in no way contributed to the fire or its spread.

“Siderise was appalled by the dreadful disaster and loss of life at Grenfell Tower on 14 June 2017 and our sympathies continue to go out to the survivors and families of the bereaved.”

Adam Carey