Laura Johnson, a former housing director at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, has been appointed to a permanent £157,078-a-year role overseeing development and property at the Barnet Group.
The organisation manages 13,000 council homes in the north London borough. Ms Johnson was appointed in August after previously working in the position on an interim basis.
Her appointment has drawn criticism from Grenfell Tower survivors and bereaved families because of her role at Kensington and Chelsea when the tower fire claimed 72 lives in 2017.
Ed Daffarn, who escaped from the 16th floor after repeatedly raising concerns about fire risks, described the decision as “absolutely outrageous”.
“The fact that we, as bereaved survivors, haven’t received any justice nine years after the fire, and yet the people that were involved in senior decision-making are able to carry on working in the social housing sector, have responsibility for health and safety, and receive massive salaries – it feels so disrespectful,” he said.
He added: “If I was a resident in a Barnet council home, I’d be absolutely petrified.”
The Grenfell Tower inquiry found that Ms Johnson, who was the council’s housing director at the time, had pressed for a contractor offering to complete refurbishment work on a lower budget.
It said the decision ultimately resulted in metal cladding being replaced with panels containing combustible plastic. The inquiry also found that the installation of self-closing fire doors had been delayed for “financial and practical reasons”, despite warnings from the London Fire Brigade.
A spokesman for the Barnet Group said Ms Johnson had been the “strongest candidate” from a competitive field and that the organisation had considered the inquiry’s findings during the recruitment process.
“We also took into account Ms Johnson’s professional experience, subsequent performance, references, qualifications and overall suitability for the role,” the spokesman said.
“Following a robust and publicly advertised recruitment process, we concluded that she was the strongest candidate and legally eligible to hold the position.”
