The Grenfell Tower disaster continues to dominate the news, a year after a fire ripped through the now-blackened and desolate tower block.

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It still stands, shrouded in tarpaulin, on the London skyline. BBC2's new documentary Before Grenfell: a Hidden History, tells the story of the history of the tower and the surrounding area.

Here's everything you need to know about BBC2's Before Grenfell: a Hidden History.

What time is BBC2's Before Grenfell: a Hidden History on TV?

Before Grenfell: a Hidden History is on BBC2 at 9pm on Wednesday 13th June.

Grenfell Tower is a 24-storey block of public housing flats in North Kensington, London, where a fire broke out on 14th June 2017, killing an estimated 79 people. The following day Prime Minister Theresa May announced that there would be a public inquiry into the fire. The inquiry is now in session.

What's the documentary Before Grenfell: a Hidden History about?

A rich seam of archive footage immerses the viewer in the history of North Kensington, which, we soon learn, has had problems with social inequality for over 150 years. During the Victorian era, for example, a literal wall was built to keep the rich and poor areas of the community separate.

We hear from a range of residents, many of whom have lived all their lives in Kensington and Chelsea, the richest borough in the country, and have witnessed first hand slum clearance and then the gentrification, the house price boom – and the building of Grenfell Tower.

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They also reflect on the future of the area, where the W11 "golden postcode" attracts celebrities and millionaires, and threatens to leave many longtime residents behind.

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Authors

Flora CarrDrama Writer, RadioTimes.com
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