Fire Safety Strategy
A Fire Safety Strategy is a comprehensive technical document that sets out the fire safety provisions for a building in detail. While it is primarily associated with Building Regulations approval, many planning authorities now request early-stage fire safety strategies alongside planning applications, particularly for complex or high-rise developments. The Building Safety Act 2022 and the Fire Safety Act 2021 have significantly strengthened the regulatory framework governing fire safety in buildings across England.
Typical Cost
£300 – £5,000+
Turnaround
1 – 6 weeks
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What is a Fire Safety Strategy?
A Fire Safety Strategy is a detailed technical document that describes how a building will be designed, constructed, and managed to protect its occupants and firefighters from fire. It covers all aspects of fire safety including structural fire resistance, compartmentation, means of escape, fire detection and alarm systems, smoke ventilation, sprinkler installation, fire service access and facilities, external fire spread prevention, and management procedures for the life of the building. The strategy may follow the prescriptive guidance in Approved Document B of the Building Regulations or adopt a fire-engineered approach using BS 9999 or other recognised standards where the prescriptive guidance cannot be applied directly.
When is a Fire Safety Strategy required?
A Fire Safety Strategy is required for Building Regulations approval on virtually all commercial, residential, and mixed-use developments. At the planning stage, it is increasingly requested for residential developments of six or more storeys, buildings containing sleeping accommodation such as hotels and care homes, complex mixed-use schemes, buildings with unusual layouts or means of escape arrangements, and developments where the planning authority wants assurance that the proposed form and massing can achieve adequate fire safety. For buildings falling within the scope of the Building Safety Act 2022, the strategy forms a core part of the Gateway Two application to the Building Safety Regulator.
What does a Fire Safety Strategy include?
A comprehensive Fire Safety Strategy covers the building's fire safety objectives and design philosophy, structural fire resistance and compartmentation details, means of escape analysis including travel distances, exit widths, and protected stairways, fire detection, alarm, and communication systems, emergency lighting and signage, smoke control and ventilation strategy, sprinkler or other suppression system design, external wall construction and fire performance of materials, fire service access arrangements including vehicle access, firefighting shafts, and water supplies, management and maintenance arrangements for fire safety systems, and an evacuation strategy specifying whether the building operates stay-put, simultaneous evacuation, or a phased approach.
How much does a Fire Safety Strategy cost?
A Fire Safety Strategy for a standard low-rise residential block of three to four storeys following Approved Document B prescriptive guidance typically costs between £3,000 and £6,000. Mid-rise developments of five to ten storeys requiring more detailed analysis generally range from £6,000 to £15,000. High-rise buildings over 18 metres requiring fire-engineered solutions, computational fluid dynamics modelling for smoke ventilation, and liaison with the Building Safety Regulator can cost £15,000 to £40,000 or more. Purpose-built student accommodation, care homes, and mixed-use buildings with complex compartmentation requirements tend to sit at the upper end of the cost range.
Who can prepare a Fire Safety Strategy?
Fire Safety Strategies must be prepared by a qualified fire engineer. For straightforward buildings following Approved Document B, a fire safety consultant holding membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE) or equivalent is appropriate. For buildings requiring fire-engineered solutions, the strategy should be prepared by a chartered fire engineer, ideally holding CEng status through the Engineering Council and a member of the IFE or the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE). The Building Safety Regulator requires demonstrated competence for all Gateway Two submissions.
How long does a Fire Safety Strategy take?
A Fire Safety Strategy for a simple low-rise building can typically be completed within 3 to 4 weeks. Mid-rise developments requiring detailed analysis generally take 6 to 10 weeks. High-rise or complex buildings requiring fire engineering, CFD modelling, and regulatory consultation can take 3 to 6 months to develop fully. The strategy should be started early in the design process, as late engagement with fire safety issues frequently leads to costly design changes and programme delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Approved Document B?
Approved Document B is the statutory guidance document that supports Part B (Fire Safety) of the Building Regulations 2010 in England. It provides prescriptive guidance on structural fire resistance, means of escape, fire spread, and fire service access. It is split into two volumes: Volume 1 covering dwellings and Volume 2 covering buildings other than dwellings. Following Approved Document B is the simplest route to demonstrating compliance with Building Regulations fire safety requirements.
What is the difference between a Fire Statement and a Fire Safety Strategy?
A Fire Statement is a planning-stage requirement introduced under Gateway One of the Building Safety Act, setting out how fire safety principles have informed the design. A Fire Safety Strategy is a more detailed technical document for Building Regulations compliance, covering all fire safety systems and design provisions in full. The Fire Statement demonstrates intent; the Fire Safety Strategy provides the engineering detail.
What is a fire-engineered approach?
A fire-engineered approach uses first principles of fire science, computer modelling, and performance-based analysis to design fire safety solutions rather than simply following the prescriptive rules in Approved Document B. This approach is used when the building's design does not conform to standard assumptions, for example where travel distances exceed prescriptive limits or where open-plan layouts require bespoke smoke ventilation solutions. BS 7974 provides the framework for fire engineering in the UK.
Do all residential buildings need sprinklers?
Since November 2020, all new residential buildings over 11 metres in height are required to be fitted with sprinkler systems under the Building Regulations amendments. Below this threshold, sprinklers are not mandatory for residential buildings in England, though they may be required in Wales where the threshold is lower. Fire safety strategies for buildings near the 11-metre threshold should consider sprinklers as they can enable more flexible design solutions.
What is a stay-put strategy?
A stay-put strategy is an evacuation approach used in purpose-built blocks of flats where the compartmentation is designed to contain a fire within the flat of origin. Residents in unaffected flats are advised to stay in their homes while the fire service deals with the incident. This approach relies on effective compartmentation, fire doors, and fire-resistant construction. Following Grenfell, the suitability of stay-put strategies has been scrutinised more closely, and buildings must demonstrate robust compartmentation.
What is CFD modelling in fire safety?
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling simulates the movement of smoke and hot gases through a building during a fire. It is used in fire-engineered strategies to design smoke ventilation systems, verify means of escape conditions, and assess tenability criteria in atria, car parks, basements, and other complex spaces. CFD modelling provides visual outputs showing smoke layer heights and temperatures over time, which are used to demonstrate that escape routes remain tenable.
How does the Building Safety Regulator affect my project?
The Building Safety Regulator, part of the Health and Safety Executive, became the building control authority for higher-risk buildings (those over 18 metres or 7 storeys with two or more dwellings) from April 2024. For these buildings, the Fire Safety Strategy must be submitted as part of the Gateway Two application for building control approval. The Regulator assesses the strategy independently and may require revisions or additional information before granting approval.
Can the Fire Safety Strategy influence the planning design?
Yes, significantly. Fire safety requirements can affect building height, core layouts, staircase numbers and widths, external wall materials, basement design, podium arrangements, and the provision of firefighting access around the building. Engaging a fire engineer early in the design process helps avoid fundamental design changes later. Many planning refusals and design complications arise from fire safety issues identified too late in the process.
What are firefighting shafts?
A firefighting shaft is a protected enclosure containing a firefighting stair, a firefighting lobby, and a firefighting lift, providing fire service personnel with safe access to every floor of a building. They are required in buildings over 18 metres in height and in some other building types. The Fire Safety Strategy must demonstrate that firefighting shafts are appropriately located, sized, and protected, and that they provide direct access to all parts of the building.
Does the Fire Safety Strategy need updating after construction?
The Fire Safety Strategy as a design document is fixed at the point of Building Regulations approval. However, the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 requires the responsible person to maintain a fire risk assessment throughout the life of the building, which should reflect the principles of the original strategy. Any subsequent alterations to the building that affect fire safety may require the strategy to be revisited and the fire risk assessment updated.