Inquiries Ronan Point Inquiry ReportedHistoric

Ronan Point Inquiry

Inquiry into the partial collapse of Ronan Point tower block in Canning Town on 16 May 1968 following a gas explosion which killed four people.

Where it stands

Ronan Point Inquiry — Final Report was published on 6 November 1968.

ChairHugh Griffiths QCJudge / Judiciary
Commissioned byMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentOriginally commissioned by Minister of Housing (1968)
Established17 May 1968
Final report6 Nov 1968
Duration5 months
Inquiry report
Historical inquiry (pre-Inquiries Act 2005). Listed for reference; recommendation progress is not actively tracked.

Reports & recommendations

All 18 recommendations →
18 recommendations
This is a historical inquiry. Per-recommendation tracking is not available. See the Legacy & Impact section above.
Checked against sources: 27 Feb 2026

Legacy & Impact

The Ronan Point inquiry examined the partial collapse of a 22-storey tower block in Canning Town on 16 May 1968, following a gas explosion that killed four people. Chair Hugh Griffiths QC concluded that both the design and construction of the large panel system building were inadequate. The inquiry's 19 recommendations focused on preventing progressive collapse in high-rise buildings and managing explosion risks.

The inquiry's most significant documented legacy is the Building Regulations 1970 (5th Amendment), which introduced the concept of resistance to disproportionate collapse. This principle remains embedded in Part A of the current Building Regulations. The inquiry also led to the disconnection of piped gas from high-rise residential buildings and requirements for structural engineering assessments of buildings over six storeys.

The disaster effectively ended large panel system construction in the UK. However, when Ronan Point was demolished in 1986, investigators found structural joints packed with rubbish and that post-collapse strengthening works had been ineffective. This discovery raised questions about the implementation and enforcement of safety measures.

The Ronan Point inquiry occupies a significant place in the history of UK building safety regulation. Its focus on preventing disproportionate collapse established principles that continue to shape building standards. The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire renewed attention to questions about building safety regulation and enforcement that the Ronan Point inquiry had raised nearly five decades earlier.
Lasting Reforms
• Building Regulations 1970 (5th Amendment) introduced requirements for resistance to disproportionate collapse, now incorporated in Part A of the Building Regulations
• Disconnection of piped gas supplies from high-rise residential buildings
• Requirement for structural engineering appraisal of buildings over six storeys
• Effective end of large panel system construction methods in the UK
Unfinished Business
• No published evidence of formal implementation reviews of the inquiry's recommendations
• Recommendation for review of regulations governing storage of potentially explosive materials in high blocks (RONA-22)
• Recommendation for improved ventilation in flats in high blocks (RONA-21)
• Broader application of structural safety requirements to non-residential buildings over 100 feet (RONA-35)
Summary written by the tracker with AI assistance, 26 March 2026. Not part of the inquiry record; indicative, not authoritative.

Key Legislation

Building Regulations 1970 (5th Amendment — Disproportionate Collapse) PRIMARY
Introduced the concept of resistance to disproportionate collapse, now embedded in Part A of the Building Regulations.

Influence & Connections

Informed or shaped Grenfell Tower Inquiry
Ronan Point introduced the concept of resistance to disproportionate collapse in building regulations. The Grenfell Tower fire raised the same fundamental question about the gap between building regulation and safety in practice.