Grenfell campaigner says ‘nothing was learned’ after housing director lands £157,000 job

A Grenfell Tower campaigner says ‘nothing has been learned’ after a former housing boss at the time of the disaster landed a new job at another London council.

Laura Johnson was director of housing at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea when the Grenfell Tower fire killed 72 people and displaced hundreds more in 2017.

She has now been hired permanently as director of development and property for the Barnet Group – a company owned by Barnet Council, north London, which manages the borough’s council homes – and will take home a salary of up to £157,000 a year.

The Grenfell Tower Inquiry found Johnson had pushed ahead with cost-cutting measures at the west London residential block.

One saw a new company, Rydon, take over a contract from Leadbitter to complete works on the tower at a lower cost, and flammable plastic-filled panels fitted.

The inquiry also found that, despite warnings from the fire brigade, Johnson slowed down the installation of self-closing mechanisms on fire doors for ‘financial and practical reasons’. 

Patrick Hunter – who has lived on the top floor of a 15-story council high-rise in Barnet for the past 15 years and has worked for the council for nearly four decades – told Metro: ‘When Grenfell happened, it was absolutely appalling and shocking. 

‘I wasn’t able to sleep for two weeks – it was really hard living in a high-rise.

‘Now to hear that one of the architects of that disaster has been put in charge of health and safety, I’m appalled. I’m having trouble sleeping again.’

Joe Delaney, a campaigner from Justice4Grenfell, said: ‘Barnet Council’s excuse for the appointment is that under Johnson, Barnet Homes achieved a top tier rating from the Regulator of Social Housing. 

‘If ever there was proof that nothing has been learned in the almost decade since Grenfell, it’s that ratings of this sort are still seen as valuable.’

Johnson now manages more than 13,000 council homes in the London Borough of Barnet in north London.

She had been working in her role at the Barnet Group on an interim basis before her permanent appointment in August, which comes with a salary of £157,078.

A spokesperson for The Barnet Group said that they concluded Johnson was ‘the strongest candidate’ in a ‘competitive field of candidates’.

The spokesperson said: ‘We were aware of the Grenfell Inquiry findings and considered them carefully during the recruitment process. We also took into account Ms Johnson’s professional experience, subsequent performance, references, qualifications, and overall suitability for the role.

‘Our thoughts remain with the survivors and family and friends of all those affected by the tragic Grenfell Tower fire. The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority.

‘Following an inspection in 2025, Barnet Council received a C1 grading from the Regulator of Social Housing, the highest possible rating for landlords of social housing.

‘Laura Johnson played an intrinsic role in securing this rating, placing Barnet Homes among the top tier of social housing providers in the capital.’

The Metropolitan Police said it was seeking charges against 57 individuals and 20 companies following the fire.

The Crown Prosecution Service has said it expects to make decisions on charges by June 2027.