Fire Safety Design, Review & Compliance Support

Fire Strategy sets out how a building will be designed, constructed, occupied, and managed to support fire safety. It considers the fire safety measures required for the building, including means of escape, fire compartmentation, fire stopping, fire doors, firefighting access, and life safety provisions.

Fire strategies are commonly required for new developments, refurbishments, alterations, changes of use, commercial premises, and more complex residential or mixed-use buildings. They provide Building Control, design teams, contractors, building owners, and managing agents with a clear framework for how fire safety requirements are intended to be achieved.

At ELR Building Surveying & Consultancy Ltd, we provide clear, practical fire strategy advice for residential, commercial, and mixed-use buildings. Our services include the creation of new fire strategies, review of existing fire strategies, fire risk assessments, fire risk assessment reviews, passive fire protection surveys, and compartmentation design advice.

Our aim is to outline the construction standards, fire safety provisions, and practical requirements necessary to support the proposed development, refurbishment, alteration, or ongoing management of the building.

You may need fire safety consultancy support if you are:

  • Planning a new development, refurbishment, extension, alteration, or change of use
  • Preparing a Building Control submission
  • Reviewing or updating an existing Fire Strategy
  • Creating or reviewing a Fire Risk Assessment
  • Responding to Building Control, Fire Authority, landlord, insurer, or managing agent queries
  • Altering internal layouts, means of escape, fire doors, or protected routes
  • Reviewing fire compartmentation, fire stopping, or passive fire protection
  • Investigating fire safety defects or poor workmanship
  • Preparing for occupation, lease, sale, handover, or refurbishment
  • Managing a commercial, residential, mixed-use, or multi-occupied building

For multi-occupied residential buildings, the Fire Safety Act 2021 clarified that the Fire Safety Order applies to the building’s structure, external walls, common parts, and flat entrance doors between domestic premises and common parts. (GOV.UK)

What Our Fire Safety Consultancy Includes

We can prepare clear, project-specific fire strategies to support proposed developments, refurbishments, alterations, changes of use, or existing buildings requiring a defined fire safety approach.

A fire strategy may consider:

  • Means of escape
  • Fire compartmentation
  • Fire stopping principles
  • Fire doors and protected routes
  • Travel distances and escape routes
  • Fire detection and alarm requirements
  • Emergency lighting considerations
  • Firefighting access and facilities
  • Surface finishes and internal linings
  • Life safety provisions
  • Construction standards required for the proposed use
  • Relevant Building Regulations guidance and technical standards

The strategy is designed to clearly explain the intended fire safety approach and provide practical recommendations suitable for Building Control review where required.

Where a fire strategy already exists, we can review the document to assess whether it remains suitable for the current or proposed use of the building.

This can be particularly useful where a building has been altered, refurbished, extended, reconfigured, or where the original fire strategy no longer reflects how the building is used.

Our review can identify gaps, inconsistencies, outdated assumptions, or areas where further clarification, design coordination, or remedial action may be required.

Every building, project, and use is different. We provide tailored fire safety design advice to suit the specific layout, occupancy, construction, and intended use of the property.

This may include recommendations relating to:

  • Fire compartmentation
  • Fire stopping
  • Means of escape
  • Fire doors and protected routes
  • Travel distances and escape routes
  • Life safety provisions
  • Fire detection and alarm considerations
  • Emergency lighting considerations
  • Firefighting access and facilities
  • Separation between different uses or occupancies
  • Construction standards required to support the proposed development
  • Technical information suitable for Building Control submission

This helps ensure that fire safety is considered clearly and practically from the outset, whether the project involves a new development, refurbishment, alteration, change of use, or review of an existing building.

We can prepare or review Fire Risk Assessments to help responsible persons, building owners, landlords, employers, and managing agents understand fire safety risks and prioritise appropriate action.

A Fire Risk Assessment may consider:

  • Fire hazards and ignition sources
  • People at risk
  • Existing fire safety measures
  • Means of escape
  • Fire doors, signage, and emergency lighting
  • Fire detection and warning systems
  • Fire stopping and compartmentation concerns
  • Management and maintenance arrangements
  • Recommended actions to reduce or manage fire risk

Where an existing Fire Risk Assessment is already in place, we can review it to help determine whether it remains suitable, sufficient, and reflective of the building’s current condition, layout, and use. GOV.UK guidance states that premises within scope of the Fire Safety Order require a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. (GOV.UK Assets)

Passive fire protection plays a key role in limiting the spread of fire and smoke through a building. We can undertake Passive Fire Protection surveys and reports to assess visible fire-stopping, compartmentation, and fire-resisting construction where accessible.

This may include review of:

  • Fire stopping around service penetrations
  • Compartment walls and floors
  • Fire-resisting construction
  • Fire doors and frames
  • Protected escape routes
  • Service risers, cupboards, and plant areas
  • Cavity barriers where visible or accessible
  • Areas of damage, alteration, or poor workmanship

Following the inspection, we can provide a clear report setting out identified issues, photographic evidence, and practical recommendations for remedial action or further investigation where required.

Following our review, inspection, or design assessment, you will receive a clear and structured document setting out our findings, recommendations, and relevant fire safety considerations.

Depending on the service instructed, this may include:

  • A project-specific Fire Strategy
  • A review of an existing Fire Strategy
  • A Fire Risk Assessment
  • A review of an existing Fire Risk Assessment
  • Passive Fire Protection survey findings
  • Compartmentation advice
  • Photographic evidence where applicable
  • Recommendations for remedial works or further investigation
  • Technical guidance to support Building Control submission
  • Clear actions to help manage fire safety risk

Our documents are designed to be practical, easy to understand, and useful for clients, contractors, design teams, managing agents, landlords, and approval bodies.

A Fire Strategy is usually prepared during the design, refurbishment, alteration, or change-of-use stage of a building project. It explains how fire safety will be achieved within the proposed design, including escape routes, compartmentation, fire stopping, fire doors, firefighting access, and life safety measures.

A Fire Risk Assessment is usually prepared for an occupied building or premises. It assesses fire risks in use and identifies actions required to protect occupants and manage fire safety responsibilities.

In many cases, both may be needed: a Fire Strategy to support the design and Building Control process, and a Fire Risk Assessment to support ongoing occupation and management.

We can provide compartmentation design advice to support fire safety design, refurbishment, alteration, or remedial works.

This can include advice on compartment lines, fire-resisting construction, service penetrations, fire-stopping requirements, protected escape routes, cavity barriers, fire doors, and interfaces between building elements.

Our aim is to provide clear, practical guidance that helps design teams, contractors, building owners, managing agents, and Building Control understand the fire safety provisions required and how they should be incorporated into the works.

What Our Fire Safety Consultancy Includes

We can prepare clear, project-specific fire strategies to support proposed developments, refurbishments, alterations, changes of use, or existing buildings requiring a defined fire safety approach.

A fire strategy may consider:

  • Means of escape
  • Fire compartmentation
  • Fire stopping principles
  • Fire doors and protected routes
  • Travel distances and escape routes
  • Fire detection and alarm requirements
  • Emergency lighting considerations
  • Firefighting access and facilities
  • Surface finishes and internal linings
  • Life safety provisions
  • Construction standards required for the proposed use
  • Relevant Building Regulations guidance and technical standards

The strategy is designed to clearly explain the intended fire safety approach and provide practical recommendations suitable for Building Control review where required.

Where a fire strategy already exists, we can review the document to assess whether it remains suitable for the current or proposed use of the building.

This can be particularly useful where a building has been altered, refurbished, extended, reconfigured, or where the original fire strategy no longer reflects how the building is used.

Our review can identify gaps, inconsistencies, outdated assumptions, or areas where further clarification, design coordination, or remedial action may be required.

Every building, project, and use is different. We provide tailored fire safety design advice to suit the specific layout, occupancy, construction, and intended use of the property.

This may include recommendations relating to:

  • Fire compartmentation
  • Fire stopping
  • Means of escape
  • Fire doors and protected routes
  • Travel distances and escape routes
  • Life safety provisions
  • Fire detection and alarm considerations
  • Emergency lighting considerations
  • Firefighting access and facilities
  • Separation between different uses or occupancies
  • Construction standards required to support the proposed development
  • Technical information suitable for Building Control submission

This helps ensure that fire safety is considered clearly and practically from the outset, whether the project involves a new development, refurbishment, alteration, change of use, or review of an existing building.

We can prepare or review Fire Risk Assessments to help responsible persons, building owners, landlords, employers, and managing agents understand fire safety risks and prioritise appropriate action.

A Fire Risk Assessment may consider:

  • Fire hazards and ignition sources
  • People at risk
  • Existing fire safety measures
  • Means of escape
  • Fire doors, signage, and emergency lighting
  • Fire detection and warning systems
  • Fire stopping and compartmentation concerns
  • Management and maintenance arrangements
  • Recommended actions to reduce or manage fire risk

Where an existing Fire Risk Assessment is already in place, we can review it to help determine whether it remains suitable, sufficient, and reflective of the building’s current condition, layout, and use. GOV.UK guidance states that premises within scope of the Fire Safety Order require a suitable and sufficient fire risk assessment. (GOV.UK Assets)

Passive fire protection plays a key role in limiting the spread of fire and smoke through a building. We can undertake Passive Fire Protection surveys and reports to assess visible fire-stopping, compartmentation, and fire-resisting construction where accessible.

This may include review of:

  • Fire stopping around service penetrations
  • Compartment walls and floors
  • Fire-resisting construction
  • Fire doors and frames
  • Protected escape routes
  • Service risers, cupboards, and plant areas
  • Cavity barriers where visible or accessible
  • Areas of damage, alteration, or poor workmanship

Following the inspection, we can provide a clear report setting out identified issues, photographic evidence, and practical recommendations for remedial action or further investigation where required.

Following our review, inspection, or design assessment, you will receive a clear and structured document setting out our findings, recommendations, and relevant fire safety considerations.

Depending on the service instructed, this may include:

  • A project-specific Fire Strategy
  • A review of an existing Fire Strategy
  • A Fire Risk Assessment
  • A review of an existing Fire Risk Assessment
  • Passive Fire Protection survey findings
  • Compartmentation advice
  • Photographic evidence where applicable
  • Recommendations for remedial works or further investigation
  • Technical guidance to support Building Control submission
  • Clear actions to help manage fire safety risk

Our documents are designed to be practical, easy to understand, and useful for clients, contractors, design teams, managing agents, landlords, and approval bodies.

A Fire Strategy is usually prepared during the design, refurbishment, alteration, or change-of-use stage of a building project. It explains how fire safety will be achieved within the proposed design, including escape routes, compartmentation, fire stopping, fire doors, firefighting access, and life safety measures.

A Fire Risk Assessment is usually prepared for an occupied building or premises. It assesses fire risks in use and identifies actions required to protect occupants and manage fire safety responsibilities.

In many cases, both may be needed: a Fire Strategy to support the design and Building Control process, and a Fire Risk Assessment to support ongoing occupation and management.

We can provide compartmentation design advice to support fire safety design, refurbishment, alteration, or remedial works.

This can include advice on compartment lines, fire-resisting construction, service penetrations, fire-stopping requirements, protected escape routes, cavity barriers, fire doors, and interfaces between building elements.

Our aim is to provide clear, practical guidance that helps design teams, contractors, building owners, managing agents, and Building Control understand the fire safety provisions required and how they should be incorporated into the works.

Integrated Building Consultancy Support

Need Building Regulations or Structural Support Too?

Fire safety is often closely linked with Building Regulations design, specification, structural alterations, and construction detailing.

At ELR Building Surveying & Consultancy Ltd, this is something else we can assist with. We can provide Building Regulations design and specification support, structural design and calculations, and technical advice to help coordinate the wider compliance requirements for your project.

Visit our Building Regulations Design & Specification page or Structural Design & Calculations page to find out more.

Building Regulations Design & Specification Structural Design & Calculations

Why Choose ELR for Fire Safety Consultancy?

At ELR Building Surveying & Consultancy Ltd, we provide fire strategy, Fire Risk Assessment, passive fire protection, and compartmentation advice with a practical, professional, and evidence-based approach.

With almost a decade of experience in Building Control, we understand how buildings should be designed, constructed, altered, and maintained to support fire safety and regulatory compliance. This gives us a strong technical foundation for identifying risks, reviewing fire safety provisions, and advising on practical solutions.

Our reports and strategies are clear, structured, and focused on real-world application. We explain what we have found, why it matters, and what action may be required to support compliance, safety, and effective building management.

Above all, our aim is to help you understand your fire safety responsibilities, make informed decisions, and move forward with confidence.

Book a consultation

Frequently asked questions on fire safety

You may need a Fire Strategy if you are planning a new building, extension, refurbishment, alteration, fit-out, change of use, or significant works that affect fire safety provisions.

A Fire Strategy helps explain how the design will address matters such as escape routes, compartmentation, fire stopping, fire doors, detection and alarm systems, firefighting access, and life safety provisions.

Yes. A Fire Strategy can provide Building Control with a clear explanation of the intended fire safety approach for the proposed works.

It can help demonstrate how key fire safety requirements have been considered and what construction standards or design provisions are required to support the development.

Yes. We can review an existing Fire Strategy to assess whether it remains suitable for the current or proposed use of the building.

This is particularly useful where a building has been altered, refurbished, extended, reconfigured, or where the original strategy may no longer reflect the building as occupied.

If you are responsible for a premises that falls within the scope of the Fire Safety Order, a suitable and sufficient Fire Risk Assessment is required.

This commonly applies to workplaces and the common parts of residential buildings.

Passive Fire Protection refers to the built-in fire safety measures that help resist the spread of fire and smoke.

This can include fire-stopping, fire-resisting walls and floors, compartmentation, cavity barriers, fire doors, and protected escape routes.

Compartmentation is the use of fire-resisting walls, floors, doors, and associated fire-stopping to divide a building into areas that help restrict the spread of fire and smoke.

Good compartmentation can help protect escape routes, limit fire spread, and support the overall fire safety strategy for the building.

Yes. We can review the query, assess the relevant fire safety provisions, and help prepare a suitable technical response or revised strategy information where required.

Read Our Recent Reviews

Contact the ELR team about Fire Safety

If you require a Fire Strategy, Fire Risk Assessment, Passive Fire Protection survey, compartmentation advice, or review of existing fire safety documentation, please get in touch to discuss your requirements.