Residents residing near Grenfell Tower are set to receive £400 in compensation from the local council for each household due to delays in a plan to renovate their homes.

Seven years have passed since the government and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea vowed to create a “model 21st-century estate” at the Lancaster West Estate following the tragic fire at Grenfell.

Yet, the initiative remains incomplete and faces an £85 million budget shortfall.

During a meeting for tenants of the estate held in Parliament on Monday evening, residents expressed their feelings of being “stuck on a construction site for the past seven years.”

Abbas Dadou, a resident of the estate, remarked that the compensation offered is “far from sufficient given the hardships faced by the residents.”

He stated, “With a 2.5% increase in rent, this compensation doesn’t even offset the rise in rent and service charges. The entire process has been excruciatingly slow, and residents continue to endure living amidst ongoing construction.”

Many residents, including Dadou, expressed concerns that numerous buildings might remain unrefurbished, deeming the promise of a model estate for the 21st century highly improbable.

Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, the Conservative leader of Kensington and Chelsea, asserted that the council would collaborate with the government to secure the £85 million needed to complete the estate’s refurbishment.

Speaking to BBC London, she stated, “In the wake of Grenfell, for the future legacy of the area and our commitment alongside the government, we pledged to deliver a 21st-century estate. We’ve committed to a 50-50 financial split and are awaiting the government to fulfill its part of the deal.”

“We owe it to the Lancaster West Estate residents to follow through on our promises… It’s understandable why so many are feeling furious.”

She added that the council plans to distribute the £400 in compensation “in acknowledgment of the difficulties they face.”

Joe Powell, the Labour MP for Kensington and Bayswater, highlighted the “valid concerns” of those living nearby Grenfell Tower, especially in the Lancaster West Estate, who have been enduring life on a construction site even prior to the fire.

“I completely grasp their frustration surrounding the slow progress of major renovations, and the central message from tonight is that residents want the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea to collaborate with the central government to find a resolution,” he noted.

Mr. Powell pointed out that there is an “£85 million shortfall in the budget needed to complete the estate’s refurbishment, a promise made to residents soon after the fire.”

He emphasized, “I would prefer that the government and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea work together to resolve this gap rather than offering empty promises.”

Building Safety Minister Alex Norris, who attended the meeting, refrained from addressing whether the government would provide the total funding.

This June 14 will mark eight years since the Grenfell fire tragedy, and it will be the final anniversary before work commences this autumn to dismantle the tower.