Local authority planning officers “responded negatively” to initial proposals to cover Grenfell Tower with rainscreen cladding, the public inquiry into 2017’s fatal fire has heard.

Evidence put to Studio E Architects’ project lead Bruce Sounes today included minutes from a design team meeting suggesting Kensington and Chelsea council planners preferred other options to boost the tower’s appearance and energy efficiency.

The session also heard that fire-safety consultant Exova voiced concerns about Studio E’s proposals to reconfigure the tower’s four-storey podium to introduce new homes – something Sounes earlier conceded was the most complex aspect of the plans.

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