Appointed by Stevenage Borough Council as Lead Fire Safety Consultants, delivering Fire Risk Assessments and Fire Door Surveys across a portfolio of over 1000 residential blocks.
The client
Stevenage Borough Council is the local authority for Stevenage, a local government district with borough status in Hertfordshire, England. Through its services, it aims to improve the quality of life, life chances, and life choices for all residents in Stevenage.
Services provided
The project
Faithorn Farrell Timms were appointed by Stevenage Borough Council as Lead Fire Safety Consultants, delivering Fire Risk Assessments across a portfolio of over 1000 residential blocks.
In addition, we were commissioned to undertake Flat Entrance Door and Communal Door Surveys to high-rise residential buildings, ensuring compliance with the Fire Safety England Regulations 2022. Our role also included the Quality Assessment of completed remedial works, supported by detailed reports and photographic evidence.
Our role
Working in partnership with In-Line Safety Ltd, we established a consistent Fire Risk Assessment methodology through early engagement with the London Fire Brigade. The format, structure and reporting outputs were agreed with all stakeholders, ensuring a standardised approach throughout the project.
Resident engagement was managed through advanced communication, enabling access to properties while addressing queries and concerns. We developed detailed and costed Schedules of Works aligned with the Council’s appointed contractor’s Schedule of Rates, ensuring clear allocation of remedial actions.
As our Fire Risk Assessments directly informed the scope of remedial works, careful programme coordination was essential. We aligned our delivery ahead of the contractor’s planned maintenance programme, allowing sufficient time for specification development, procurement and implementation of works.
Where required, we prioritised higher-risk blocks approaching assessment expiry, delivering early inspections under a dedicated workstream focused on compliance. This coordinated approach enabled remedial works to be delivered alongside planned maintenance activities, improving efficiency and reducing overall costs.
Throughout the programme, we undertook Quality Assessments of completed works to ensure compliance with manufacturer guidance, legislative and industry standards.
The challenges
The portfolio included a number of sheltered units, each with specific access and resident engagement requirements. The buildings were fully occupied and comprised a mix of tenure types, requiring tailored communication and reporting approaches.
In addition, the need to align the Fire Risk Assessment delivery with the contractor’s live programme of planned maintenance works required careful coordination to ensure compliance was maintained without disrupting wider project delivery.
The outcome
Through a coordinated approach, Stevenage Borough Council achieved a compliant and sustainable Fire Risk Assessment and fire door inspection programme. The integration of remedial works with planned maintenance activities delivered programme efficiencies and cost savings, while maintaining full regulatory compliance.