Fire Strategy Reports Wales

A Welsh design basis for your building or property portfolio

Spycon Security Ltd welcomes fire strategy enquiries across Wales for residential, commercial and mixed-use buildings. We prepare reports that explain the proposed fire safety arrangements and the information the design team needs to develop them, with the commission assessed against the requirements applicable to the Welsh project.

This service is suitable for a single conversion, new development, refurbishment or a portfolio of existing properties needing clearer records. Design-stage and retrospective reports are scoped separately, with surveys, drawings and technical support identified before appointment.

For a straightforward domestic project, reports start from £750 plus VAT. Provide the location and plans so the quotation can account for the building, survey requirements and travel.

What is a fire strategy report?

A fire strategy report sets out how a building’s layout, construction, systems and management assumptions work together to protect people from fire. It explains the intended warning and evacuation arrangements, the measures that limit fire and smoke spread, and the access and facilities needed for firefighting. The assessment is linked to the particular premises and the work proposed.

For a Welsh development, it also identifies the applicable Welsh design basis. This is important whether the project is a small residential conversion, a commercial refurbishment or one property within a national portfolio. The report gives owners, architects and specialist designers a shared explanation of the design requirements.

Where included, fire strategy drawings show the corresponding provisions on the plans. Assumptions, evidence gaps and responsibilities should be visible, making it easier to understand what must be resolved before the project progresses. Each building needs its own assessment, even when several properties share an owner or reporting format.

Types of fire strategy report available for Welsh projects

The right commission depends on the building’s stage and the reason the document is needed. Report names describe the work undertaken; they are not universal statutory certification levels. Residential and commercial describe the premises, while a guidance-based or engineered approach describes the method of assessment.

Feasibility or concept strategy

Early advice establishes the principal fire safety constraints before the design is committed. For a Welsh residential project, relevant suppression requirements, escape arrangements and site access should be considered together. A concept review can identify further information needed about retained construction, water supply or the proposed layout before detailed design proceeds.

Planning-support fire safety information

Where planning requirements call for fire safety input, the appointment follows the Welsh project and the actual request. The scope may address early design issues such as access and the relationship between buildings or uses. A planning document does not, by itself, complete the later technical design or Building Control assessment.

Design-stage fire strategy report

This documents the developed proposal against the applicable Welsh design basis and chosen assessment method. It identifies the drawings, design requirements and outstanding decisions for the project team. A new housing scheme and a commercial refurbishment need different inputs, even where the reporting format provides a consistent way to find information.

Detailed design and construction updates

Changes to structure, compartments, services or protection systems can alter the assumptions in an earlier strategy. An agreed update process records those changes and their implications. Reviewing design submissions, visiting the site and inspecting installed work are distinct activities, so the quotation states which are included in the commission.

As-built or handover fire strategy

The completed strategy should reflect the final building and the evidence supplied by the project team. It can identify important maintenance and management assumptions for the owner. Preparation relies on accurate final drawings and change records; unresolved construction or commissioning questions need to remain visible until appropriate evidence is provided.

Retrospective strategies and portfolio reviews

A retrospective report examines an existing property whose original fire safety design record is unavailable or unreliable. A targeted review may suit a building with an existing strategy that needs updating. For a portfolio, each address requires a suitable scope and evidence assessment, while survey planning and report presentation can be coordinated across the programme.

Residential and commercial report scopes

A residential strategy may concern an individual house, extension or loft conversion, an HMO, converted flats or a larger apartment development. The appropriate approach depends on the actual layout and use. Specialist sleeping accommodation needs its own suitability and competence assessment rather than being treated as a standard house enquiry.

A commercial fire strategy may cover an office, shop, hospitality or educational building, hotel, warehouse or industrial premises. A mixed-use report needs to explain the interfaces between those uses and any homes or shared routes. We define the building-specific assessment and specialist responsibilities within the quotation.

Why the Welsh design basis matters

Wales publishes its own Approved Document B guidance. The report should identify the Welsh provisions, applicable amendments and relevant project dates. Where residential automatic fire suppression requirements apply, they need to be considered early in the design.

We establish that basis from the proposed work and building information. English guidance, approval terminology or a previous report for another jurisdiction should not be carried across without assessing their relevance to the Welsh commission.

The practical result is a brief that tells the project team which assumptions and provisions need to be carried into the design, with unresolved points identified for clarification.

A service for different project types across Wales

Residential development and conversions: houses, flats, HMOs, loft conversions and changes of use, including projects with retained construction or constrained escape routes.

Commercial and community premises: offices, retail, hospitality, hotels, warehouses, industrial and educational buildings, with the scope based on the intended use and occupation.

Existing buildings: retrospective strategies and reviews where the original report is unavailable, alterations have accumulated or a fire risk assessment has identified a design question.

Property portfolios: coordinated enquiries and reporting arrangements for several sites, while retaining a building-specific assessment and clear evidence requirements for each address.

Tell us whether the immediate need is design advice, a submission document, a response to comments or an understanding of the building in use.

What your fire strategy report covers in detail

Building description, design basis and evidence

The report establishes the building use, storeys, relevant dimensions, occupancy and scope of the works. It identifies the plans and other documents reviewed, the assessment method and important assumptions. For an existing property, a distinction is needed between information supported by records, accessible conditions observed during a survey and matters that remain unverified.

Means of escape and evacuation

The assessment considers how occupants reach a place of safety, including travel distances, exit capacity, protected corridors and stairs, final exits and the effect of different uses. The evacuation approach must suit the building and its occupants. A stay-put arrangement, simultaneous evacuation or another approach needs an appropriate design basis; the choice cannot be made from the property label alone.

People who may need assistance must be considered. A refuge can form part of an agreed assisted-evacuation arrangement, but providing a refuge does not by itself explain how someone will reach safety. The strategy should identify relevant design and management responsibilities without assuming that every occupant can use stairs unaided.

Fire resistance, compartmentation and doors

Walls, floors, shafts, doors and fire-stopping work together to restrict fire and smoke spread and protect escape routes. The report identifies the relevant compartment boundaries and performance requirements. Openings for services, junctions and later alterations need coordination so that an intended fire-resisting line is maintained. A drawn compartment boundary does not prove the condition of concealed construction.

Internal and external fire spread

The design considers relevant internal lining performance and external spread issues involving walls, roofs, openings and boundaries. The information needed depends on the proposal and the available evidence. A fire strategy does not automatically include an intrusive external wall appraisal, material testing or a detailed assessment of every façade component; any such work needs an appropriate specialist scope.

Fire protection systems and their interfaces

Detection and alarm, emergency lighting, smoke ventilation and suppression may contribute to the strategy. The report identifies their intended roles and relevant design requirements. Automatic opening vents, door releases, smoke-control equipment and other interfaces need coordinated specialist design. System layouts, calculations, installation, commissioning and maintenance documentation remain separate deliverables unless expressly included.

Firefighter access and facilities

Depending on the building, the assessment addresses appliance approach, access within the premises and relevant firefighting facilities. Risers, hydrants, firefighting shafts and associated provisions need suitable location and design information where applicable. Site constraints should be identified early, including access routes or shared areas controlled by others, so the strategy does not rely on an arrangement the project cannot provide.

Site-specific requirements across a Welsh portfolio

A town-centre refurbishment and a rural building may have very different access, servicing and evidence constraints. Provide site layouts and available water-supply information where relevant, alongside the internal plans. For multiple addresses, the report for each property should identify its own design assumptions and outstanding actions. A shared portfolio format helps organise information, while the conclusions remain specific to each building.

Suppression, escape and construction need to be coordinated

Where a suppression system forms part of the design, its role must be understood alongside the escape strategy, compartmentation and other protective measures. The report identifies the assumptions that the specialist designer needs to consider and the interfaces requiring coordination.

The same principle applies to alarms and smoke control: a strategy establishes their intended contribution, while detailed design and commissioning are separately assigned tasks. A design should not rely on a system capability that has neither been specified nor evidenced.

If an alternative arrangement needs technical justification, we scope the appropriate specialist assessment and review before the project relies on it.

Welsh fire safety guidance and the principal BS standards

Welsh projects require the applicable Welsh Building Regulations provisions and guidance. Welsh Approved Document B addresses warning and escape, internal linings, structure and compartmentation, external fire spread, and firefighter access and facilities. The report records the relevant volume, amendments and project dates rather than transferring an English report unchanged.

British Standards may support an appropriate design method, but they must be applied within the Welsh project context. Relevant residential automatic fire suppression requirements need early consideration. A sprinkler or other system must be coordinated with the rest of the design; its presence does not automatically resolve an otherwise unsupported escape or compartmentation arrangement.

BS 9991:2024 for residential buildings within its scope

BS 9991 addresses fire safety in the design, management and use of residential buildings within its scope. A strategy using this route may examine protected stairs, common corridors, compartmentation, fire doors, warning, smoke control, fire resistance, evacuation and firefighting facilities. The selected approach must suit the actual building. The presence of accommodation does not automatically make every residential or specialist premises suitable for the same method.

BS 9999:2017 for suitable buildings within its scope

BS 9999 can support a risk-based approach for suitable buildings such as offices, retail premises, hospitality, industrial premises and warehouses. Occupancy characteristics, fire risk and management assumptions influence the assessment of escape and protection measures. It is not a code for individual dwelling houses. A strategy should apply the relevant provisions coherently rather than selecting isolated allowances from different routes.

BS 7974:2019 and the supporting PD 7974 series

BS 7974 provides a framework for applying fire safety engineering principles. A specialist assessment starts with defined objectives and a qualitative design review, then uses appropriate analysis to evaluate potential solutions against agreed criteria. Relevant parts of the PD 7974 series can support the methodology. This route is useful when a specific design question needs engineering analysis; it is not an automatic requirement for every report.

Standards for the systems supporting the strategy

Related system standards can include BS 5839-1 for non-domestic fire detection and alarm systems, BS 5839-6 for systems in domestic premises, BS 5266-1 for emergency lighting and the relevant BS EN 12101 standards for smoke-control components or systems. The strategy identifies the required function, while specialist designers confirm applicable standards, editions and detailed specifications for their work.

British Standards are technical standards, not the legislation itself. The report should state the selected design basis, applicable editions and any departures, with the reasons and supporting evidence. It should explain how the chosen standards address your building’s design, so you can understand the requirements and any limitations.

Fire engineering, CFD modelling and alternative designs

Some buildings need a more detailed assessment of an open-plan arrangement, retained stair, basement, atrium or another feature that does not follow a conventional guidance solution. The first step is to define the departure and the safety objective. A competent specialist then identifies relevant fire scenarios, occupants, assumptions, analysis methods and acceptance criteria. The scope may include calculations or modelling, with suitable technical review.

CFD means computational fluid dynamics. In an appropriate fire engineering study, it can help examine smoke movement and conditions in a defined scenario. Its value depends on justified inputs, a suitable model and careful interpretation. A visual simulation alone is not evidence that a proposal is acceptable.

Available Safe Egress Time (ASET) concerns the time available before the specified conditions become untenable in the scenario assessed. Required Safe Egress Time (RSET) considers the time needed for detection, warning, occupant recognition and response, and movement to safety. Where this comparison is used, the assessment needs suitable safety margins and consideration of uncertainty; a simple numerical comparison is insufficient on its own.

The findings may support additional detection, smoke control, suppression, improved compartmentation, fire-resisting construction or different escape arrangements. The appropriate measures follow the analysis. An engineered solution does not promise that walls, stairs or sprinklers can be avoided. Specialist modelling, calculations and review are separately scoped and priced where justified.

Coordinated AutoCAD fire strategy plans

The agreed drawing package can illustrate escape routes, exits, travel distances, protected spaces, compartment lines and fire door requirements. Depending on the premises, it may also identify smoke ventilation and AOV provisions, refuges, firefighting access, risers and hydrants. A clear legend and revision record help the project team interpret the design.

For a rural or multi-building Welsh site, a site plan may be needed alongside the internal floor plans to explain access and relevant facilities. The strategy plans communicate the intended provisions; they do not replace detailed specialist design or provide evidence of concealed construction without the necessary investigation.

Retrospective strategies and surveys

For an existing building, send the available plans, earlier approvals, fire risk assessment and relevant inspection records. We define the survey needed to compare the records with accessible conditions and identify where the evidence is incomplete.

The strategy can explain the building’s arrangements and identify further work, but hidden construction may need an intrusive investigation. Fire door inspections, compartmentation surveys, external wall assessments and installation certificates have their own scope.

For a portfolio, a property schedule helps establish priorities and survey logistics. The quotation identifies the work for each site rather than assuming every address needs an identical report.

Fire strategy report, fire risk assessment or certificate?

These documents answer different questions. Knowing the purpose helps you commission the correct service:

• Fire strategy report: explains the building’s fire safety design, its assessment basis and the measures and assumptions that work together.
• Fire risk assessment: examines fire risks and precautions in the premises as used, including management matters and actions. It can identify a need for design clarification, but does not automatically supply that technical assessment.
• Fire strategy drawing: illustrates relevant design provisions on the plans. It accompanies the assessment where commissioned; a drawing alone may not explain the reasoning or limitations.
• Fire alarm certificate: records a specified design, installation, commissioning or maintenance activity for the alarm system. It does not certify the whole building’s fire strategy.
• Evacuation plan: explains the operational arrangements for getting people to safety, including assistance where needed. It must be consistent with the strategy and actual building management.
• Fire alarm zone plan: helps identify alarm zones and locations. It has a different purpose from the coordinated escape, compartmentation and protection information in fire strategy drawings.

Send the exact wording of any request from an authority, assessor or managing agent. We can then identify the appropriate document and any related services that need a separate scope.

How we take a Welsh enquiry through to a report

1. Review the site or property schedule. Send the full address, building use, proposed work, available plans and the reason a report is needed. For several properties, identify the records and deadlines for each address rather than supplying only a total property count.
2. Confirm the Welsh basis and scope. We establish the appropriate report stage and information requirements. The quotation identifies surveys and travel, drawings, specialist input, technical review and support for comments, including any dependencies that affect the programme.
3. Assess each building. The design is considered against its actual use, layout, construction and relevant requirements. Important interfaces, including suppression and site access where applicable, are identified for coordination. Further investigations are scoped where records cannot support an assumption needed for the assessment.
4. Review and issue the documents. The report and agreed drawings are coordinated and technically reviewed. They identify the design assessed, evidence relied on and outstanding actions, with a consistent format available for a portfolio without replacing the individual assessment of each property.
5. Coordinate updates and completion information. Design revisions and authority comments follow the agreed review process. Where a final strategy is commissioned, the project team supplies suitable final drawings and evidence. The owner’s handover information should explain the completed provisions and relevant operational assumptions, alongside the specialist records needed to manage the building.

Professional credentials, review and insurance

Our fire-safety team includes professionals holding Member grade of the Institute of Fire Safety Managers (MIFSM) and Associate membership of the Institution of Fire Engineers (AIFireE). Spycon Security Ltd holds IFSM affiliate membership, a company affiliation separate from individual professional membership.

Your appointment identifies the competent author and technical reviewer responsible for the report and its sign-off. Work is matched to the competence required; professional membership or an electrical qualification alone does not establish competence for every complex fire engineering assessment.

Professional Indemnity, Public Liability and Employers’ Liability insurance is arranged through NAPIT, subject to the relevant policies, insured activities and limits.

Fees and delivery arrangements

The £750 plus VAT starting price applies to straightforward domestic work. Larger residential, commercial and complex existing-building commissions are quoted individually.

The fee proposal states the survey and travel arrangements, drawings, specialist assessments, review, delivery programme and allowance for revisions or authority comments. Send existing and proposed plans, building use, storey information, the full address and any submission deadline.

If a site visit or further records are needed before conclusions can be reached, that dependency is identified when the programme is agreed.

Coverage across Wales

We welcome enquiries from all 22 Welsh local authority areas:

• South East Wales: Cardiff, Newport, Vale of Glamorgan, Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf, Merthyr Tydfil, Caerphilly, Blaenau Gwent, Torfaen and Monmouthshire.
• South West and West Wales: Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion.
• Mid Wales: Powys.
• North Wales: Gwynedd, Isle of Anglesey, Conwy, Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.

Relevant postal areas include CF, NP, SA, LD and LL, together with Welsh addresses in CH, SY and HR. Postcode areas can cross the national border, so we confirm the premises location, applicable framework and survey arrangements from the full address.

For a project in the capital, see our fire strategy report Cardiff page for city areas and local project questions.

Questions about fire strategies in Wales

Can an English fire strategy be reused for a Welsh project?

It may contain useful background, but the building and Welsh design basis need assessment. Send the existing report and proposed plans so the relevant information can be reviewed and the required changes defined.

Can you quote for buildings in several Welsh counties?

Yes. Provide a property schedule with addresses, uses, available plans and the reason each report is needed. We can then define the individual assessments and proposed survey arrangements.

Is a sprinkler design included in the fire strategy fee?

The report can identify the strategic requirement and relevant interfaces. Detailed suppression design, installation and commissioning are separate deliverables unless specifically included in the appointment.

Will a report guarantee Building Control acceptance?

The relevant authority decides the application. Our appointment defines the technical information and response support to be provided, with unresolved assumptions identified for the project team.

Does every property in a portfolio need the same type of report?

No. One building may need a missing strategy reconstructed, another may require a focused review of proposed alterations, and a new development may need design-stage advice. A property schedule helps identify the appropriate scope and sequence for each site.

Can remote records be enough for an existing building?

Records may support an initial review, but their completeness and reliability need assessment. Where conclusions depend on current site conditions or concealed construction, suitable surveys or investigations are needed. Those requirements are identified in the scope.

Will your report design every fire protection system?

The strategy establishes the intended roles and relevant requirements. Detailed alarm, emergency lighting, smoke-control and suppression design must be assigned to suitable specialists, with the necessary calculations and coordination. Those tasks are included only where expressly commissioned.

Request a Welsh fire strategy quotation

Call 020 4600 4703 with the site details or send a portfolio schedule and available drawings.

Send my Wales project brief